A review by sweetearlgrey
The Way of the Hermit: My 40 Years of Solitude Living Off the Grid by Will Millard, Ken Smith

4.5

This book feels intimate in a way that is hard to replicate—like I’m sitting next to Mr. Smith in his cabin while he tells me anecdotes from his life. He has a great literary voice—his humour and sincerity shine through. Reading this hasn’t made me desire to live off-grid; that’s not the point. But it has shown me that it is possible to live completely on your own terms, as long as you have the survival skills to do so (I do not). He notes that he was able to leave society behind precisely because he was never tied down in the first place; he had no obligations or responsibilities toward anyone at the time. It’s not so easy once you have social connections to maintain. Most of all, I loved the descriptions of nature, animals, and the simple life—all of which reminded me to look more closely and lovingly at my own natural surroundings.