Gathering Place
A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times
Gathering Place
A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times
Sorry, this item is out of print.
Hardback
£17.99
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781399400541
Number of Pages: 256
Published: 13/04/2023
Width: 13.5 cm
Height: 21.6 cm
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024
'Deeply poetic.' CAROLINE LUCAS MP
'A masterpiece of storytelling.' NICK MAYHEW-SMITH
'Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity.' PATRICK LAURIE
'An unforgettable story.' MICHAEL MCCARTHY
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Mary Colwell makes a solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship.
Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst and sometimes pain as they tread the paths their ancestors once followed. In the winter of 2020, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell walked a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Francés in northern Spain.
In a typical year, many thousands of people walk this route, but Mary had it virtually to herself at a unique historical moment – a time of profound political change, escalating climate and biodiversity emergencies and global pandemic.
The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino’s worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place for memories and experiences to gather. In her delightful book, Mary weaves experiences from her solo winter pilgrimage with stories from a walk millions have undertaken over the centuries. Her thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of body and soul includes moments of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on and magical tales, and Mary’s exquisite descriptions of the constant backdrop of nature in all its complexity and wonder.
Prologue
Chapter 1 - Wooden Staffs and Mountains
Chapter 2 - Moors and Myths
Chapter 3 - Witches and Forests
Chapter 4 - To The Stars
Chapter 5 - The Kindness of Strangers
Chapter 6 - Wine and Wonder
Chapter 7 - War and Peace
Chapter 8 - The Unravelling Road
Chapter 9 - Stones and Snow
Chapter 10 - Ultreïa
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
References and Further Reading
Index
A compelling storyteller, Colwell's 500-mile pilgrimage is rich with memories, myths and associations from the past. In this deeply poetic journey into an inner and an outer landscape, the natural world is often her only companion, powerfully evoked and brilliantly observed. * Caroline Lucas MP * In The Gathering Place, Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity, which reminds us that while clear answers are hard to come by, we should never stop asking questions. * Patrick Laurie, author of Native * An unforgettable story of heroes and villains, kindness and horror, holiness and wickedness, miracles, bizarre legends, lost souls, and eventually, solace in a troubled world. Not to be missed. * Michael McCarthy, author of The Moth Snowstorm * Mary Colwell brings an inspiring sense of openness, courage, humility and loving curiosity to her daily encounters with the natural and human worlds. * Jeremy Mynott, author of The Consolation of Nature * A masterpiece of storytelling on a journey that will move hearts and minds alike. * Nick Mayhew-Smith, author of Britain's Pilgrim Places * Beautifully written. * Kate Green, Country Life * The Gathering Place is much more than a travel book down a well-trodden path. It is a brutally honest examination of why we are as we are, and just how important the cultural landmarks of our lives have become in a world of anxiety and change. Brave, tough and surprisingly funny, this is a witness statement from one of the UK's great campaigners. * Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of Liquid Gold * Amazing. * Tim Birkhead, author of Birds and Us * The Gathering Place is a beautiful thing: like a warm crystal; full of light, reflecting and refracting and celebrating everything both inside and outside the book. * Charles Foster, author of Being a Human *
