The Wild Silence: The Sunday Times Bestseller from the Million-Copy Bestselling Author of The Salt Path
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By Raynor Winn
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The incredible Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller from the million-copy bestselling author of the phenomenon and 80-week Sunday Times bestselling The Salt Path
‘Beautiful, a thrill to read . . . you feel the world is a better place because Raynor and Moth are in it’ The Times
’Winn’s writing transforms her surroundings and her spirits, her joy coming across clearly in her shimmering prose’ i
‘A beautiful, luminous and magical piece of writing’ Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry _______ ‘It was the land, the earth, the deep humming background to my very being’ In 2016, days before they were unjustly evicted from their home, Raynor Winn was told her husband Moth was dying.Instead of giving up they embarked on a life-changing journey: walking the 630-mile South West Coast Path, living by their wits, determination and love of nature.
But all journeys must end and when the couple return to civilisation they find that four walls feel like a prison, cutting them off from the sea and sky that sustained them – that had saved Moth’s life.
So when the chance to rewild an old Cornish farm comes their way, they grasp it, hoping they’ll not only reconnect with the natural world but also find themselves once again on its healing path . . .
_______
‘Confirms Raynor as a natural and extremely talented writer with an incredible way with words. This book gives us all what we wanted to know at the end of The Salt Path which is what happened next. So moving, it made me cry . . . repeatedly’ Sophie Raworth, BBC
‘Brilliant, powerful and touching . . . will connect with anyone who has triumphed over adversity’ Stephen Moss, author and naturalist
‘Unflinching . . . There is a luminous conviction to the prose’ Observer
‘Notions of home are poignantly explored . . . wonderful’ Guardian
LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2021
Nominated for the Holyer an Gof Memoir Award
Praise for The Salt Path ‘An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves’ Independent ‘This is what you need right now to muster hope and resilience . . . a beautiful story and a reminder that humans can endure adversity’ Stylist ‘The landscape is magical: shapeshifting seas and smugglers’ coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. Raynor writes exquisitely . . . it’s a tale of triumph; of hope over despair, of love over everything’ The Sunday Times ‘The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told’ Jackie Morris, illustrator of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane TweetReviews
St Just Thursday Evening Reading Group 2nd September 2021.
The Wild Silence. Raynor Winn.
Everyone enjoyed this book, some liked it even more than The Salt Path, and others were pleased to read the sequel and find out what happened to Raynor and Moth. The background story of Raynor’s childhood, and how The Salt Path came to be written, were also of interest. Readers were pleased that Moth is still OK, and that the couple do have a roof over their heads. The descriptions of nature and the new journeys they undertook were popular, and there was a lot of sympathy for Raynor’s loss of her mother, and her mental health problems. The continuing idea of them both benefiting, Raynor mentally and Moth physically, from the healing power of Nature and walking in the open air, was appreciated.
The couple’s apparent naivety about finances was commented upon quite a lot, particularly with reference to their tenancy of the farm which they put such a lot of work into improving. Why didn’t they buy a property of their own? What was the owner’s point of view? What were the conditions of their tenancy, and what would have happened if they had been evicted or if the owner wanted to use it himself? What happened to Raynor’s mother’s house? One reader hoped, now they presumably have a good income from Raynor’s books, that they also have the services of a good financial advisor.
Readers were ambivalent about the Icelandic section. Some thought it ill-advised, and that a walking trip nearer home might have been better; other liked the descriptions but wondered why she criticised other people without attempting to engage with them.
The book as a whole gave rise to some differing opinions with this group. Some loved it and ‘couldn’t put it down’, and thought that the upbeat ending where she is able to embrace the possibility of change and to start to trust people again after being so let down was moving and uplifting. Some admired the strength they showed, and their determination to keep moving in more positive directions in life and take on further challenges. Others, while acknowledging the hope and courage shown, found the story painful and thought that despite Raynor’s talent to communicate, and her joy in nature and adventure, she comes across as a sad woman. Several readers thought the couple made strange choices in life, and found it odd that Raynor is one minute hiding away from people and seems very timid, while in the next breath she is visiting Iceland just before the winter. The opinion was also voiced that the book was rushed, maybe due to financial issues or pressure from the publisher, and would have been a better book given a little more time.
As with The Salt Path, there seemed to be quite a lot of questions unanswered in this book, but evidently it fascinated quite a few readers nevertheless.
This book was read during August 2021 and the continuing restrictions due to the Covid-19 virus, and so the discussion was not 'live' as usual, but took place via a Facebook group, email and telephone conversations.
