An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves in the difficult times of life.
THE NO. 1 BESTSELLING, LIFE-CHANGING PHENOMENON - SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
'A beautiful, gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows' RAYNOR WINN
'My favourite book of the last five years' CAITLIN MORAN
Wintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.
A moving personal narrative interwoven with lessons from literature, mythology and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources- solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas.
Ultimately, Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.
'Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself' ELIZABETH GILBERT
'Absolutely beautiful' CHERYL STRAYED
Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, November 2024
Industry Reviews
A beautiful, gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows -- Raynor Winn, bestselling author of The Salt Path
We all experience periods of 'wintering' in our lives and this book shows us how to embrace the uncertainty that can come with it. A beautiful book that can be enjoyed in both winter and summer -- Lara Maiklem, author of Mudlarking
An elegant investigation into the consolations of nature and how it can be wonderfully restorative even on the bleakest of days * Sunday Express *
[A] sympathetic memoir ... May recounts how she attempted to embrace rather than resist the gloom and chill of winter ... she radiates sincerity and quiet self-knowledge * TLS *
Wintering is the book equivalent of a perfectly timed hug you didn't know you needed, a warm blanket on a cold day ... it's exactly what the world needs right now -- Nora McInerny, host of Terrible, Thanks for Asking
