Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

Thelife-changing bestseller and global phenomenon on the power of rest, and the lessons we can learn from nature to get us through life’s hardest moments.

THE SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself' Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love

'Absolutely beautiful' Cheryl Strayed, bestselling author of Wild

'My favourite book of the last five years' Caitlin Moran, bestselling author of How to be a Woman

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We all have fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves.

Wintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on these fallow moments, showing us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.

A moving memoir interwoven 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.

Whether you’re reading this in the dead of winter or the height of summer, Wintering is the beautiful, moving, and life-changing memoir teaching us to draw from the healing powers of the natural world and to embrace the winters of our own lives.

Praise for Wintering:

‘The book equivalent of a perfectly timed hug you didn't know you needed’ Nora McInerny, host of hit podcase Terrible, Thanks for Asking

‘A beautiful, gentle exploration of the dark season of life and the light of spring that eventually follows’ Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path

‘Wise, radical and comforting … A thought-provoking joy to read.’ Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden

‘A splendid and soul-salving read’ Maria Popova, author of The Cosiest Place on the Moon

‘A memoir to savour and inspire, and a warm, witty meditation on the darkest seasons of our lives’ Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed

‘An empowering and touching read that will inspire a survivalist spirit on even the darkest days’ Town and Country Magazine