Wintering: The Energy of Relaxation and Retreat in Troublesome Instances
Worth:
(as of – Particulars)
THE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Katherine Could opens up precisely what I and so many want to listen to however have not recognized learn how to identify.” —Krista Tippett, On Being
“Each bit as lovely and therapeutic because the season itself. . . . That is really a wonderful ebook.” —Elizabeth Gilbert
“Proves that there’s grace in letting go, stepping again and giving your self time to restore in the dead of night…Could is a clear-eyed observer and her language is regular, trustworthy and correct—capturing the sense, the sweetness and the latent energy of our resting landscapes.” —Wall Road Journal
From the writer of the New York Instances bestseller Enchantment: Awakening Surprise in an Anxious Age, that is an intimate, revelatory exploration of the methods we are able to look after and restore ourselves when life knocks us down.
Generally you slip via the cracks: unexpected circumstances like an abrupt sickness, the dying of a liked one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These intervals of dislocation will be lonely and sudden. For Could, her husband fell unwell, her son stopped attending college, and her personal medical points led her to go away a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not solely endured this painful time, however embraced the singular alternatives it provided.
A transferring private narrative shot via with classes from literature, mythology, and the pure world, Could’s story provides instruction on the transformative energy of relaxation and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and crusing arctic seas.
Finally Wintering invitations us to vary how we relate to our personal fallow occasions. Could fashions an lively acceptance of disappointment and finds nourishment in deep retreat, pleasure within the hushed great thing about winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, Could kinds a guiding philosophy for reworking the hardships that come up earlier than the ushering in of a brand new season.
From the Writer
Writer : Riverhead Books; First Version (November 10, 2020)
Language : English
Hardcover : 256 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593189485
ISBN-13 : 978-0593189481
Merchandise Weight : 2.31 kilos
Dimensions : 5.7 x 0.85 x 8.52 inches
Clients say
Clients discover the ebook insightful, considerate, and trustworthy. They describe wintering as fantastic and exquisite. Readers additionally discover the story comforting, soothing, and provoking. They describe the sound high quality as resonance and compelling. Moreover, they point out it is a fast, simple, accessible learn that calls to decelerate. Nevertheless, some prospects really feel the ebook does not maintain their curiosity and is a waste of money and time. Opinions are blended on the readability and story high quality.
AI-generated from the textual content of buyer critiques
DoomKittieKhan –
Beautifully written, narrative nonfiction.
What do you think of when you think of winter? Is it a stressful imagining or a peaceful one? Cozy? Uncomfortable? Necessary? With the inevitable approach of colder months, many of our memories or associations with the season – good or bad – are bound to be emphasized by the ongoing COVID pandemic. Author Katherine May invites us to embrace this winter with all that it has to offer. And May doesn’t just mean the season, but rather the “fallow period in life when you’re cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from progress, or cast into the role of the outsider.” Sounds fairly familiar at the moment, right? We’re struggling for community in ways that many of this generation could never have anticipated. In ‘Wintering’, May gives us a playbook and philosophy to handle our own personal winters.Beautifully written, May was inspired to share her experiences from her own periods of winter and what she has learned from the radical act of real self-care (i.g. getting enough sleep, being restful, and generally slowing down our routines to combat the workaholic culture). May fearlessly combats the wave of toxic positivity – a newly morphed Instagramable version of bootstrap mentality – that has taken over many of the books that attempt to discuss our reactions to stress. What one can instead expect from ‘Wintering’ is a guide that is more akin to sharing a coffee with a friend than reading a self-help book.’Wintering’ is difficult to place into any one genre. It is the type of British narrative nonfiction I love and is reminiscent in tone and style to the introspection found in Helen Macdonald’s H is for Hawk. Like Macdonald, May reminds us that opting out of misery isn’t an option. Instead we must embrace it and learn from it.May doesn’t just look at weathering personal winters, she turns her pen to the anthropological and the historical as she examines how other cultures and creatures prepare for winter. May seeks out the peace and solace found in nature’s winter. Observing everything from the hibernating nests of dormice, wolf dens, and the survival tactics of bees, to the practice of ice swimming, the wonder of the northern lights, and the frigid cold of the Arctic Circle and how those who choose to live there embrace winter. Casting her net wide a little closer to home, May writes about different spiritual practices that welcome winter; such as attending the winter equinox celebration at Stonehenge, discussing the rituals of winter with her Finnish friends, and evaluating the experiences of those who are battling with Seasonal Affective Disorder. May even includes the literary aspect of wintering by weighing the importance of snow in fairy tales, meditating on John Donne’s poem “A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy’s Day” and Sylvia Plath’s “Wintering”. May concludes that to welcome winter is to survive it. It is a hopeful and philosophical approach that I found deeply comforting.In a lovely bit of writing, May reveals that in times of distress she likes to travel north. That the cold air feels clean and uncluttered and that she can think straight. I adhere to May’s belief that the cold has healing properties. As she writes, “you apply ice to a joint after an awkward fall. Why not do the same to life?” There will always be winters. There will always be periods of sadness and solitude. Therefore, we must prepare for them as best we can. What does this look like in practice? Baking? Soup making? Reading my candlelight in cozy socks? Yes and no. Those things certainly aren’t going to hurt your mentality when dealing with winters. However, it is more about recognizing when you need to coil into yourself. Protect yourself. Sleep. Slow down. Grow. Anticipate spring. Feel the turning of the year with gratitude.I was initially drawn to pick up ‘Wintering’ because winter is my favorite season. Reading May’s book was like finally being clued in to the operating tenets of a fan club. May and I speak the same language in our love of winter. She eloquently expresses her appreciation of the season on every page. The solitude of the cold dark. The cleansing power of breathing in the scent of snow. The ritual of lighting a home fire or candles in the long evenings. Of hygge. She is also realistic, blunt, and deeply practical, clearly defining band-aids for confronting winter and actual solutions.If, as you have grown, find that you are sinking into workaholic tendencies, that the highlights of the year (like holidays) pass with little joy and too much stress, if you missing feeling the different seasons and instead seem surprised upon their arrival – this book is for you.If you enjoy cultural studies and nonlinear narrative histories – this book is for you.If you like observant and engaging authors who are honest and not prone to navel-gazing – this book is for you.If you enjoy guided meditations – this book is for you.I would recommend this book to just about everyone. Based on the variety of topics within, the likability of the author, and the intriguing chapter layout, ‘Wintering’ makes for an engaging read that I already want to reread and buy more copies to giveaway.
Lois –
This book resonates over and over.
After the first few pages, I set aside my list for the day and immersed myself on this book. And found myself saying, âYes, this exactly.â Aloud. To have a book resonate so deeply rarely happens. Thank you, Katherine May, for this gift of a book.
Melanie A Malone –
Commiseration at its best
To be succinct, this is the best book Iâve read in years. There were passages that had me crying with familiarity and just the right dose of reality. I got a little lost at Stonehenge, and some of Mayâs stories went on a little too scientifically. But, to that end, she would bring it back home to a concrete truth- life is ever changing, largely crummy, and itâs ok to spend time working it out. In fact, this book showed me I donât have to dread âwinterâ. It can be a delicious time of reconnection and rest. Highly recommend.
Sierra Laricchiuti –
This book really is a good seasonal depression support
I read this book because I thought it might help my perspective during the colder seasons living in a colder climate with more elevation. It was so encouraging and really helpful!
TxGG –
Helpful but not powerful.
Helpful but not powerful. Maybe I expected too much.
jeanius –
Thoroughly enjoyed!
Perfect book for the winter season! What I loved was the beautiful exploration of metaphorical âwintersâ, the inevitable points in life where you exit the rat race, slow down, was mixed with interesting facts about the literal winters in northern locations, other countries, and discussions on winter symbolism in our culture. It was a lovely journey. The book is a journey. Donât expect it to be a point A to point B with a beginning, middle, and end. Slow down and enjoy. That being said I loved the first half of the book more than the second half, as she had more personal insight in the first half. Some of that was lost in the second half. But otherwise, as someone with a chronic illness, this book validated what Iâve felt for years , and the enjoyable acceptance Iâve found in my many âwintersâ with this illness.
Dawn R. Williamson –
I think I will read this every autumn
Lovely, reflective. A call to slow down. Observe the world around us while acknowledging the world within. A reminder you be gentle with ourselves and others. Gives permission you âwinterâ, withdraw and rest in chorus with nature.
Michelle Boytim –
Finding a way to retreat from the world to heal
The author experienced several major life incidents that led her to leave her job. She felt adrift, but was fortunate enough to have the resources to take a step back from life to retreat and rest. Through her experience and her research, she discusses the power of pulling back and hibernation, taking in the quiet to restore her mental and physical health. I enjoyed the book and I think it offers some interesting perspectives as well as some techniques to begin to heal from trauma, but it is not something that everyone has the time or resources to fully experience.
Cecilia –
Nada recomendable! Lo dejé a la mitad. Demasiada paja para decir las ideas centrales.