In this powerful and deeply inspiring book, Annabel Abbs uncovers women who refused to conform, who recognised a biological, emotional and artistic need for wilderness, water and desert - and who took the courageous step of walking unpeopled and often forbidding landscapes. But not all women did as they were told, despite the dangers history is littered with women for whom rural walking became inspiration, consolation and liberation. A feminist exploration of the power of walking in nature, following in the footsteps of Gwen John, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frieda Lawrence, Clara Vyvyan, Simone de Beauvoir, Daphne du Maurier and Nan Shepherd.įor centuries, the wilds have been male territory, while women sat safely confined at home. The story of extraordinary women who lost their way - their sense of self, their identity, their freedom - and found it again through walking in the wild. 'a fascinating, deeply thoughtful read' - The Star Tribune I'm in awe.' - Maggie Humm, author of Talland House written in such a free flowing, readable style. Into the Mountain: A Life of Nan Shepherd I felt as though I were being lifted, carried up to peaks.' - Charlotte Peacock, author of.

This lush narrative serves as the perfect excuse to get moving.' - Publishers Weekly 'Should be read by all women and those who love the outdoors.' - Booklist Magazine Windswept featured in Deep Ink, our subscription which features a deep read every other month, alongside our regular monthly Adventurous Ink selection.* Wanderlust Magazine's BEST travel books of 2021* The story that emerged, for the very first time, was the extent to which these influential women used the outdoors to find freedom and 'to become'.Ī truly insightful and inspiring conversation for everyone interested in how the natural world relates to the creative process, and the way that a dominant male culture has for years forced even the most remarkable women to exist in the shadow of men. With an 'experimental' upbringing in the Welsh countryside that involved walking everywhere and living according to the principles of the philosopher Rousseau, it is no surprise that Annabel developed a passion for the great outdoors and for remedying the oversights of a massively male-dominated culture.įrustrated that no one, even renowned (male) philosophers, included women in the narrative of the outdoors, Annabel immersed herself in forgotten female-authored guidebooks and the diaries and letter papers of some of our most significant cultural figures.

Windswept book annabel abbs