Gathering Place
A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times
Gathering Place
A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times
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Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781399400541
Number of Pages: 256
Published: 13/04/2023
Width: 13.5 cm
Height: 21.6 cm
'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
'Inspiring.' JEREMY MYNOTT
'Brave, tough and surprisingly funny.' ROGER MORGAN-GRENVILLE
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Mary Colwell makes a 500-mile solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés, winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship, weaving her experiences of the Camino with natural history, spirituality and modern environmentalism.
Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst and sometimes pain as they tread the paths their ancestors followed before them.
In The Gathering Place, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell undertakes a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Francés in northern Spain at a unique moment in history – a time of pandemic, profound political change, and a climate and biodiversity emergency.
In a typical year, more than 300,000 people walk this route or part of it, but in between lockdowns in 2020, Mary was virtually alone. The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino’s worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place where memories and experiences can gather. There are times of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on and magical tales, and the constant backdrop of nature with all its complexity and wonder.
In this delightful book, Mary’s winter pilgrimage weaves a personal tale with a walk that millions have undertaken over the centuries. The Gathering Place is a beautiful, thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of both body and soul.
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 *
