"A mother tries—and succeeds-- to rediscover her sense of self through a series of walks in England and Scotland."
It is said that a woman is broken into a million pieces on becoming a mother. But how does a woman reassemble herself after that happens? For writer Kerri Andrews, her reconstruction begins on a series of walks in England and Scotland.
Pathfinding is part walking guide, part nature writing, part memoir, and part history lesson. Once a keen walker, Andrews finds at the outset that the demands of motherhood have nearly eliminated any chance to do the thing she loves. But she realises the path back to herself begins by walking again.
Andrews’ lyrical nature writing leaps off nearly every page—the dark grey clouds gathering on the horizon, the geological stripes on the Scottish mountains, the dappled sunlight shining through the trees. But she doesn’t shy away from the very real struggle—both physical and emotional-- of completing some of these arduous walks.
She also tackles head on the impossible standards that society places on mothers while neglecting to give women the infrastructure necessary --low-cost child care, for one-- that would make their lives better. (In the acknowledgements, Andrews notes the approximately £22,965 in nursery fees she paid to get the book written.)
On one of the walks, Andrews figures out that she’s been too hard on herself. “Whatever else I consider myself to be, I realise it would be completely fair for me to think of myself as resilient, and strong, and brave,” Andrews writes. (Amen, sister.)
Press this book into the hands of any mother and she will see herself on these pages, walker or not.
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
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