Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
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Book Overview
THE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name." --Krista Tippett, On Being "Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself. . . . This is truly a beautiful book." --Elizabeth Gilbert "Proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark...May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and accurate--capturing the sense, the beauty and the latent power of our resting landscapes." --Wall Street Journal From the author of the New York Times bestseller Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, this is an intimate, revelatory exploration of the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down.
Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered. A moving personal narrative shot through 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.
Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered. A moving personal narrative shot through 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.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0593189485
ISBN13:9780593189481
Release Date:November 2020
Publisher:Riverhead Books
Length:256 Pages
Weight:0.86 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 5.7" x 8.3"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Sinks Right into the Spirit
Published by Kristina H , 2 years ago
This is a gentle guide through tough times. I will return to this book again and again throughout my life.
Incredible book for introspection
Published by Stacey s. , 2 years ago
I came across this book after the author was interviewed in On Being and cannot sing its praises enough. It is beautiful, poetic, full of humility and grace. Highly recommend, especially for those who may struggle with their own winters and winter seasons.
Finally I Understand ,
Published by Scarlet , 3 years ago
Katherine May touched my soul in a way no writer has ever done. Her eloquent, honest narrative had me blazing through her book. She uncovered a multiple truths that I have felt about myself. This is a life changing book, that for me acknowledges that it’s not “just me”.
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