The Salt Path

The uplifting true story. A Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for the Wainwright PrizeThe story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey, not of escape, but salvation.Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset via Devon and Cornwall.They have almost no money for food or shelter and must carry only the essentials for survival on their backs as they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter, and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.The Salt Path is an unflinchingly honest, inspiring and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

“A beautiful, thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, human strength and endurance -- Guardian 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 Ray''s account of their incredible journey is a tale of triumph, of hope over despair -- Pick of the paperbacks, The Sunday Times The landscape is magical, shape-shifting seas and smugglers'' coves; myriad sea birds and mauve skies . . . It''s a tale of triumph: of hope over despair; of love over everything . . . home was no longer about bricks and mortar. It was a state of mind-- The Sunday Times An inspirational nature memoir for fans of H is for Hawk about losing everything and finding yourself between the elements of sea and sky -- Waterstones A remarkable and redemptive journey --Summer Books of 2018, Financial 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 The most inspirational book of this year . . . In some ways The Salt Path reads like the ultimate drop-out odyssey, except that this journey isn''t a life choice . . . What the book chiefly conveys is the human capacity for endurance and the regenerative power of nature . . . The Salt Path also serves as a reminder that Britain is a land criss-crossed by footpaths and that we take this 140,000-mile national glory for granted at our peril . . . The Salt Path has reminded me to scrape last year''s mud from my walking boots and get rambling again. I hope it has the same impact on millions of others. --Richard Morrison, The Times Uplifting and inspirational -- Woman & Home An exquisite piece of writing -- Western Morning News This beautiful, meditative book should give us all a sense of our possible braveries: offering us an answer to the "what if?" questions - "what if we lost absolutely everything, what would we do?" . . . An extraordinary testament to love, hope and resilience. --Greg Wise, actor and co-author of Not That Kind of Love A fabulous read, inspiring and life-affirming. If you''re not already walking the coastal path, this book will make you want to set-off immediately. It is a hymn to the power of love, sear-air and the natural beauty of Cornwall to heal and nurture. It''s an absolute joy -- Cornwall Life What an absolutely glorious and moving book. It deserves all its praise! --Vybarr Cregan-Reid, author of Footnotes and Primate Change A triumph of love and hope and giving oneself up to the healing power of nature. Beautifully written with vivid imagery, what a heart-warming and glorious read --Ali Land, author of Good Me, Bad Me You lost me a whole night''s work. This is a great read. --Paddy Dillon Mesmerising. It is one of the most uplifting, inspiring books that I''ve ever read-- i (The paper for today) Filled with wry humour, this is a wonderfully uplifting and touching book -- Guardian This is a wonderful, heart-gladdening, life-affirming read. It will make you want to walk. What a gem.--Kate Riordan, author of The Girl in the Photograph The Salt Path broke my heart and put it back together again over and over. Beautiful writing, and such a sharp eye - both for nature and for people. It''s hopeful and sad and honest and I LOVED it.--Maggie Harcourt, author of Unconventional and The Last Summer of Us A remarkable account of the healing power of landscape and the resilience of the human spirit. I felt the rain on my face and heard the waves pounding on the sand.--Phillipa Ashley The Salt Path pummelled me like Atlantic winds. It carried me along on a rain-soaked, sun-burnt, despair-infused, hope-driven walk. The writing is at times raw, poetic, funny, shocking . It is consistently honest, vulnerable, clear . I finished the book reminded of the importance of really hearing people''s stories, of the healing power of the natural world, and of our individual and collective now.-- The Ecologist A thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, strength and endurance-- The Week An inspirational true story-- Top Sante A moving true story -- i Paper An uplifting tale -- Cornish Times”

A beautiful, thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, human strength and endurance Guardian
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
A gem of a book Guardian, Best Books of Summer
This is what you need to read right now to muster hope and resilience. A beautiful story and a reminder that humans can endure adversity Stylist
Ray's account of their incredible journey is a tale of triumph, of hope over despair Pick of the paperbacks, The Sunday Times
The landscape is magical, shape-shifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriad sea birds and mauve skies . . . It's a tale of triumph: of hope over despair; of love over everything . . . home was no longer about bricks and mortar. It was a state of mind The Sunday Times
An inspirational nature memoir for fans of H is for Hawk about losing everything and finding yourself between the elements of sea and sky Waterstones
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.
The most inspirational book of this year . . . In some ways The Salt Path reads like the ultimate drop-out odyssey, except that this journey isn't a life choice . . . What the book chiefly conveys is the human capacity for endurance and the regenerative power of nature . . . The Salt Path also serves as a reminder that Britain is a land criss-crossed by footpaths and that we take this 140,000-mile national glory for granted at our peril . . . The Salt Path has reminded me to scrape last year's mud from my walking boots and get rambling again. I hope it has the same impact on millions of others. The Times
Moving and beautifully evocative i

Since travelling the South West Coastal Path, Raynor Winn has become a regular long-distance walker and writes about nature, homelessness and wild camping. She lives in Cornwall. This is her first book.

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