Makin a Mackem is a riveting and emotional memoir which charts Julie's three-day run across the north of England from Cumbria to Tyneside, and the way it becomes both an ancestral pilgrimage and a journey of self-discovery. Reflecting on her own family background, growing up in the North East, Julie considers running as her method of personal survival, and discovers how the modern global running movement actually started in the North East, with her own ancestor playing a pivotal role.
While sharing her personal journey with humour and honesty, Dr Julie Carter draws on her expertise in genetics and medicine to give insights into the ways both our culture and our genes influence our lives and to what extent we are free to write our own life's script.