Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
18 reviews
myk_yeah's review
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Simply amazing. This book soothed the parts of me that feel bad for feeling bad. May reflects on how it's okay to feel bad. Life does contain suffering. And that slowing down in the winter (whether it's a season of the earth or a season of your life) is natural.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cancer, and Mental illness
Minor: Medical content
midwichtriffid's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Vomit, Alcoholism, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
reading_rainbow_with_chris's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
“Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” by Katherine May
Winter is coming for writer Katherine May. At a period in her life where things seem increasingly difficult, May makes the choice to embrace the coming periods of quiet and cold, to accept a smaller life of simpler acts while she awaits her spring to come again. This was an unexpected read for me. I thought I was going to be getting a self-help book, not a beautifully crafted, intimate memoir of how one woman approached a fallow period in her life. And yet, it is exactly what I needed at this time in my life when winter seems to have come upon me and I was not ready for it. Much of what May describes I resonate with and her strategies for handling it are simple and thoughtful, giving me much to consider for my own life. I should note here that May’s wintering strategies also stem from a place of relative privilege. She had a job which allowed her to take the leave she needed and, when she left that job, her family did not seem to fall into dire straits. She writes of trips to the Arctic circle, of a rented studio space for her writing career, of the free time to swim in the freezing ocean. All of this is appropriate for May’s life and I do not begrudge her any of it. But “wintering” is not something accessible to all in the same way and therefore I think it’s important to remember that “Wintering” is a thought-provoking memoir from which some may find useful ideas, not a self-help guide for all.
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Infertility, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
melanie_reads's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
As a middle class white lady on the far side of 40, Katherine May offers a lot of helpful perspective on taking a step back from expectations and the forced positivity we've found ourselves mired in. However, I must recognize the privilege of being able to quit one's job to find healing and simply take her child out of school because it didn't suit him. I wish everyone had that option.
If you're into nature walks, being British, and finding your own path in the face of the darkness of winter, you will likely enjoy this book.
Living in a cold climate with a deep dark winter that is nowhere close to ending in mid-March, I wonder how relatable this book is for those in the warmer climes.
If you're into nature walks, being British, and finding your own path in the face of the darkness of winter, you will likely enjoy this book.
Living in a cold climate with a deep dark winter that is nowhere close to ending in mid-March, I wonder how relatable this book is for those in the warmer climes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Chronic illness
nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
Katherine May redefines wintering as a fallow period, a time for refreshing and preparing for growth, expanding the sense of the calendar season to any number of seasons of life. She begins her memoir with a recounting of her husband's appendicitis, immediately followed by her own diagnosis of bowel cancer, all taking place within the context of her son's feeling lonely and unwelcome in his kindergarten class. As she travels and reflects on this period of wintering, May also references other periods of wintering in her life, particularly surrounding her pregnancy, and seeks out the particular healing power of the cold.
I appreciated the cozy premise of this memoir and was glad for the reminders that rest is natural and essential; however, the parts I enjoyed the most had little to do with that powerful premise. Rather, I found myself utterly fascinated by the detailed description of the hibernation practices of dormice, the history of the Sami people and their reindeer in northern Europe, and the always amazing production capacities of honeybees, and I thought the rest could have been whittled down.
I appreciated the cozy premise of this memoir and was glad for the reminders that rest is natural and essential; however, the parts I enjoyed the most had little to do with that powerful premise. Rather, I found myself utterly fascinated by the detailed description of the hibernation practices of dormice, the history of the Sami people and their reindeer in northern Europe, and the always amazing production capacities of honeybees, and I thought the rest could have been whittled down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Infertility, and Pregnancy
kb_sherman's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Mental illness, and Vomit
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Suicide
azazellos_fang's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness and Grief
briggs4598's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, and Medical content
More...