The Simple Things - 04.2020

Nature writing can provide

a much-needed reminder of

our link with an intertwined

web made up of lichens and

limpets, mountains and

mosses. At a deeper level,

nature can be transformative,

and the nature writers who

courageously share their

stories can make us feel

less alone. The beauty of the

writing is a balm, but the

more we care for and value

our environment, the keener

we’ll be to protect it. It’s a

reciprocal relationship, one

celebrated in our selection of

wonder-filled nature books.

READING TO REWILD

Marram: Memories

of Sea and

Spider Silk

By Leonie Charlton

(Sandstone)

An evocative look at

a mother-daughter

relationship, with

a Hebridean

backdrop

Charlton headed to the Hebrides for

a three-week journey, accompanied by

her friend, two sturdy ponies and a pile

of maps. Their pace is slow enough to

take in the landscape, to catch glimpses

of wrens, sea eagles and sandpipers. It

also afforded Charlton the opportunity

to reconcile herself to her difficult

relationship with her mother, and

test her courage, as revealed in this

beautiful, meditative memoir.

Bird Therapy

By Joe Harkness

(Unbound)

A heartfelt account

of how birdwatching

saved a life

Harkness was in

the grip of severe

depression when

the sight of a brown

buzzard reminded him of his long-

forgotten love of the outdoors and his

relationship with his grandfather, so

important to him as a child. He started

paying avid attention to birds he saw,

blogging about the changes this made

to his mental health. This “joyous journal”

celebrates the redemptive power

of nature and offers practical advice

so that others can experience the

extraordinary effects for themselves.

Wanderland: A

Search for Magic

in the Landscape

By Jini Reddy

(Bloomsbury)

A celebration of the

joy of roaming and

of finding your

place in the world

British by birth, Indian

by descent, Canadian by upbringing, and

South African via her parents’ birthplace,

Reddy has always felt like a bit of an

outsider, especially when it came to

nature. Deciding to follow her own path

on her search for “the ungovernable, the

irrational” wildness, she heads to Cornwall.

Her travels leave her newly enchanted by

her surroundings, feeling a belonging to

the land in her own “quirky way”.

The Way Home: Tales

from a Life without

Technology

By Mark Boyle

(One World)

A thought-provoking

account of an

attempt to embrace

an off-grid life

Increasingly

disillusioned by modern life, Boyle took

the radical step of eschewing technology

for a simpler life, ditching his phone and

electricity connection and setting up

home on a three-acre smallholding. This

eloquent, engaging account of life off

the grid is inspiring (written by candlelight

and with pencil on paper), but also

entirely candid about how arduous it is,

when even a bath is the work of hours.

“Their pace

is slow enough

to take in the

landscape, to

catch glimpses

of wrens, sea

eagles and

sandpipers”

A LIFE LIVED

REVIEWS: EITHNE FARRY

BOOKS

Naturewritingcanprovide

a much-neededreminderof

ourlinkwithanintertwined

webmadeupoflichensand

limpets,mountainsand

mosses.Ata deeperlevel,

naturecanbetransformative,

andthenaturewriterswho

courageouslysharetheir

storiescanmakeusfeel

lessalone.Thebeautyofthe

writingis a balm,butthe

morewecareforandvalue

ourenvironment,thekeener

we’llbetoprotectit.It’sa

reciprocalrelationship,one

celebratedinourselectionof

wonder-fillednaturebooks.

READING TO REWILD

Marram:Memories

of Seaand

SpiderSilk

ByLeonieCharlton

(Sandstone)

Anevocativelookat

a mother-daughter

relationship,with

a Hebridean

backdrop

Charltonheadedto theHebridesfor

a three-weekjourney,accompaniedby

herfriend,twosturdyponiesanda pile

of maps.Theirpaceis slowenoughto

takein thelandscape,to catchglimpses

of wrens,seaeaglesandsandpipers.It

alsoaffordedCharltontheopportunity

to reconcileherselfto herdifficult

relationshipwithhermother,and

testhercourage,as revealedin this

beautiful,meditativememoir.

BirdTherapy

ByJoeHarkness

(Unbound)

A heartfeltaccount

of howbirdwatching

saveda life

Harknesswasin

thegripof severe

depressionwhen

thesightof a brown

buzzardremindedhimof hislong-

forgottenloveof theoutdoorsandhis

relationshipwithhisgrandfather,so

importantto himas a child.Hestarted

payingavidattentionto birdshesaw,

bloggingaboutthechangesthismade

to hismentalhealth.This“joyousjournal”

celebratestheredemptivepower

of natureandofferspracticaladvice

sothatotherscanexperiencethe

extraordinaryeffectsforthemselves.

Wanderland: A

Search for Magic

in the Landscape

By Jini Reddy

(Bloomsbury)

A celebration of the

joy of roaming and

of finding your

place in the world

British by birth, Indian

by descent, Canadian by upbringing, and

South African via her parents’ birthplace,

Reddy has always felt like a bit of an

outsider, especially when it came to

nature. Deciding to follow her own path

on her search for “the ungovernable, the

irrational” wildness, she heads to Cornwall.

Her travels leave her newly enchanted by

her surroundings, feeling a belonging to

the land in her own “quirky way”.

The Way Home: Tales

from a Life without

Technology

By Mark Boyle

(One World)

A thought-provoking

account of an

attempt to embrace

an off-grid life

Increasingly

disillusioned by modern life, Boyle took

the radical step of eschewing technology

for a simpler life, ditching his phone and

electricity connection and setting up

home on a three-acre smallholding. This

eloquent, engaging account of life off

the grid is inspiring (written by candlelight

and with pencil on paper), but also

entirely candid about how arduous it is,

when even a bath is the work of hours.

“Their pace

is slow enough

to take in the

landscape, to

catch glimpses

of wrens, sea

eagles and

sandpipers”

A LIFE LIVED

REVIEWS: EITHNE FARRY

BOOKS