Katherine May’s stunning memoir, Wintering: How I Learned To Flourish When Life Became Frozen, is published today by Penguin Random House / Rider Books.
The book tackles the concept of those who experience a Wintering period in their lives…
Wintering, the dormant periods in our lives, the dark moments we endure – which can be brought about through myriad of ways; from the death of a loved one to a sudden change in circumstances or mental health issues – can be lonely, damaging and catch us off guard.
Katherine May recounts her own year-long journey through winter, and how she found strength and inspiration when life felt frozen. Part memoir, part exploration of a human condition, Wintering explores the healing nature of the great outdoors to help us overcome and embrace our own wintering experiences, and how, much like nature, we can learn to appreciate these low periods, and what they have to teach us, before the ushering in of a new season.
When the deal for the book was announced, Katherine stated: “This is a very personal project for me. Wintering is about finding magic in the dark periods of life, when we feel cast out, blocked or rejected. I believe we can all winter well and winter can be the crucible for change.”
Katherine has recently featured on BBC Radio 2 to talk about the book, and Wintering was featured as the Guardian‘s “Book of the Day” in Guardian Books along with a glowing review. They said: “If therapy is a talking cure, this beautiful book – Wintering – is a reading cure.”
It has been incredibly well received in early reviews:
“Wintering is every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself … This is truly a beautiful book” Elizabeth Gilbert
“I will be turning to this book again and again and I just know that almost anyone who reads ‘Wintering’ will find some comfort, healing and inspiration.” Goodreads review, 5 stars
Katherine is the author of both fiction and non-fiction books and her memoir, The Electricity of Every Living Thing was published by Orion / Trapeze in April 2018. She lives in Whitstable with her husband, son and two cats, and can be mostly found walking along the beach and – yes – swimming in the sea. In her spare time, she reads, cooks and drinks gin martinis, stirred.
