Welcome to my review of The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. I didn’t enjoy this anywhere near as much as I expected to but it was beautifully written.
Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.
Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.
The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.
After walking the South West Coast Path, Raynor Winn became a long-distance walker and now writes about nature, homelessness and wild camping. She lives in Cornwall.
After seeing this book advertised, and the cover (which is so stunning you could frame it), I decided to give this a try. I love reading about other people’s lives, especially when they have overcome adversity, so I had expected to like this book.
Raynor and Moth are a loving, middle-aged couple who walk the 630 miles southwest coastal path from Minehead to Poole. They wild camp along the way after a tragic turn of events. It’s an area I have spent a lot of time in over the years, so I expected it to be a beautiful journey alongside the “uplifting” read described.
Raynor is great at beautifully writing, with the scenery particularly well described. However, I didn’t feel that I connected to her or her husband well or their story. I have sympathy for them, having lost everything after their hard work and for Moth’s terminal diagnoses, something that could happen to any of us. I don’t think I would have made the same decisions in the slightest, but each to their own, that didn’t bother me in any way.
What bothered me was the repetitive nature of the tale and the criticisms of the people they met. Many of whom were lovely, but many who turned their noses up when told they were homeless. I don’t know if this is an accurate representation of the situation. Perhaps they felt, after hearing their story, that there was another, maybe better way, or maybe they didn’t feel they would make the same decisions. Perhaps, they felt uncomfortable with the situation and didn’t know how to react. It wasn’t necessarily a reaction to them being homeless.
Several other things didn’t sit well with me. Small-scale shoplifting, stealing from campsites by sneaking in to stay overnight without paying, affects the profits of small business owners. Something you would think they may have considered more given their own situation. I understand that people get desperate when they are down on their luck. Still, it is possible to ask for help and do things to help themselves, like getting a job or finding somewhere to live more suitable than a tent.
The constant descriptions of them being dirty, smelly and either too hot or too cold were tedious. But, of course, you will be smelly if you don’t wash and even more so when walking a lot in the hot sun! Also, I didn’t feel that I knew much about Moth as Raynor wrote from her perspective. I found some of her comments difficult and unnecessary.
I didn’t feel that this was an inspiring or uplifting story. While Raynor and her husband made some progress, I didn’t think they had worked hard to overcome their adversity. Going on an extended holiday and waiting for something to fall into their laps isn’t necessarily the best way to deal with their situation.
There are other, much more inspiring stories about how people have worked hard to overcome adversity. My review will not likely be popular because it has so many five-star reviews and has even won awards, so who am I to disagree with them? Nevertheless, it wasn’t for me.
| Title | The Salt Path |
| Author | Raynor Winn |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | Kindle |
| Page Count | 273 Pages |
| Genre | Biography |
| Publisher | Penguin |
| Release Date | 22nd March 2018 |
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2 comments
The most ‘helpful’ reviews on the Amazon page echo your views, so I don’t think you are too out of tune with general opinion. In fact, some of them go a lot further in their condemnation! I saw the author interviewed on TV and thought it could be an interesting read, but decided against it after reading those reviews. I think this could be an example of an unreliable narrator in a nonfiction setting. (That is interesting in itself, of course!)
I think it’s important to recognise that it’s her journey and that she is proud of their results, and that’s the main thing. However, the main issue I had is that this is portrayed everywhere as inspiring and a fantastic read, and for me, I just found it frustrating. In my opinion, to overcome adversity, there are plenty of ways if you want to overcome it or become a better person. There are plenty of ways to help themselves and improve themselves all the time; it’s a neverending process.
This just felt a bit like ‘things got tough, so we went on a long holiday. I appreciate it wasn’t a lovely relaxing break in the sun, but it’s also not real life and isn’t dealing with the issues and trying to improve your lot either. It worries me that others might read this and see it as inspiring / something great to do to change your life, and while it may have worked for them, it won’t for many, and there are a lot of liberties taken along the way, some of which are morally questionable!
Sorry, it turned into a bit of a rant there! lol!