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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I have very mixed feelings about Landlines. Not as enjoyable as The Salt Path or The Wild Silence although beautifully written and an immense achievement of walking. Raynor Winn’s subject matter is much the same, at a later date, with similar reflections, rejections and triumphs, all admirable but something felt lacking. In the course of reading, the news broke about how she came to lose her home originally and that certainly undermined my reading, although it does not detract from the extraordinary lives she and Moth have led in recent years. Not sure I would read another one.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
“The map doesn’t show it, but the path is still there. You just have to keep walking.”
In Landlines, Raynor Winn returns once more to the trail — this time with the weight of years, illness, and uncertainty pressing even more deeply into her boots. And yet, from the very first page, there is that same fierce light: the quiet strength of a woman who knows what it means to risk everything for hope.
This third memoir sees Raynor and Moth set out again — not along the familiar coasts of the South West, but from Scotland’s rugged highlands down through wild terrain, ancient paths, and unfamiliar lands. Moth’s health has worsened. Their future is even more fragile. But the act of walking, of placing one foot in front of the other, remains a kind of sacred rhythm — one that roots them to the land and to each other.
Landlines is perhaps Winn’s most mature and expansive work. The writing feels richer, more meditative, with passages that ache with clarity and gratitude. There’s a new layer of reflection here — about aging, the body’s betrayals, the limits of love and endurance. But there’s also a sense of deepening connection: to the land, to the seasons, and to a slower kind of strength.
It’s not just a continuation of The Salt Path and The Wild Silence — it’s a culmination. And in some ways, it felt the most emotionally resonant of the three. There’s something profound about returning to the trail, knowing the risks, and choosing to walk anyway.
If I have a single quibble, it’s that the structure wanders now and then — the pace sometimes slows to a near halt in certain philosophical reflections. But that’s also part of its rhythm. This is a book that breathes, that pauses. That asks you to listen, not rush.
Favourite quote:
"The path was not an escape but a return — to the land, to ourselves, to something ancient and enduring."
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars)
Wistful, grounded, and quietly powerful — Landlines is a moving reflection on perseverance, place, and the quiet act of keeping going.
Wistful, grounded, and quietly powerful — Landlines is a moving reflection on perseverance, place, and the quiet act of keeping going.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
controversial author but such a lovely descriptive narrative!! take it at face value i guess
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
we're all moving into a world where we need to adapt, in ways we can't imagine right now. adapt to a new world and a changing climate. like the cuckoos moving north and the midges moving south. adapt our lifestyles to slow that change. adapt our borders. adapt our thinking about why we choose to have borders. adapt to a new life. adapt to a way of living it. adapt to survive"
i clearly need to spend some time in nature. as I was reading this, I kept getting intense waves of what I can only describe as grief - if I interrogate this feeling it seems to be a mixture of climate anxiety, feeling disconnected from the natural world & a longing for the time+energy+funds to go on more trips out into the landscape. the fact the planet is a paradise we've destroyed is too painful for words, but I can still do more to combat this by spending more time in nature & doing more to protect the earth.
3.5 stars 🌱👣🦉
3.5 stars 🌱👣🦉