I had seen The Salt Path by Raynor Winn in a bookshop in St Ives. It appeared to be a book about her and her husband Moth's journey along the South West Coast Path. This book is so much more than a guidebook or travel log though. Their journey begins when they discover that Moth is terminally ill and then their home is taken away from them. They find themselves penniless and homeless. With no real options before them, they make the brave decision to walk the 630 miles along the South West Coast Path. They buy tents, sleeping bags and set off with the bare minimum they need to live with, as they have to carry everything. They live day to day, struggling with Moth's illness, the weather, having no money, no plan and to all intents and purposes no future. Wild camping in some of the most beautiful and spectacular scenery in Britain, their trip becomes not just a physical one but a spiritual one. One of discovery, of how much they can succeed in the face of adversity, and of how strong they really are. It also questions how we view homelessness in this country. It is all to easy to look at a homeless person and say, oh, yes, its because of drink or drugs, but there are many reasons why someone becomes homeless. I do have some knowledge of this, as I did work in the local authorities homeless section for a time. Anyone can become homeless, it can easily happen to anyone. I loved how Raynor and Moth were met with such kindness from some people.
I really warmed to both Raynor and Moth, I hope that they are both doing well and do hope that Raynor thinks about writing another book. This is not a sad book, although in parts it did make me cry but it is an uplifting read, inspirational and makes you question what you would do if faced in their situation. This book is a joy to read, Raynor's writing is wonderful. From descriptions of the weather, scenery, wildlife, observations on society, nature, other people and their relationship. This is a wonderful story of coming to terms with grief (premature grieving, something I know about unfortunately) and about finding yourself and what is really important when it seems that everything is lost.
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Customer reviews
I finished reading this book this morning and was in floods of tears as I turned the last page.It spoke to me on so many levels - the love of the sea and adventure, getting out in nature, fear of homelessness and incapacity, my impulsiveness and antipathy towards living by the rules...I'm not sure why I cried - because it moved me so much or because I reached the end of the book. Maybe a mixture of both.
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