Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May

Enchantment

Subtitle: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age

Author: Katherine May

Genre: Non-fiction

Format: Digital Purchase via Kindle

Publish Date: February 2023

Read: April 2023

Favorite Quote: There is no one predator from which to escape; there are many. We are in the business of running now. It is all so urgent. Every year, it seems we must run harder. There is no other solution. We can only run, and panic, and chatter out our fears to others, who will mirror them back to us.

Synopsis: Written during the pandemic, Enchantment by Katherine May, is part memoir, part self-help, NS part something else where May dives into how individuals and communities are changing as a result of the pandemic. Enchantment begins with the author’s reading slump: she just cannot seem to read books, or enjoy hobbies, and even physical activity requires unlearning and relearning. May discusses the sheer overwhelm of the last three to five years. From divisiveness around the world, the pandemic and lockdowns, and the inattention we all seem to have from the pressure of constant information overload.

Enchantment is also about wonder. Not curiosity, although there is an element of curiosity, but wonder as in awe. With every bit of information at our fingertips and news channels to choose our preferred confirmation bias, we rarely experience wonder and play the way children do - and we are poorer for it. When was the last time you were truly enraptured by the sea? Or the mountains? What about the stars? How about a simple bonfire? We forget how amazing and impossible our world is - how can we awaken that wonder?

Why does this book beguile? Enchantment by Katherine May came onto my radar as soon as I read her other book Wintering, about mental health and dealing with burnout. What I loved about Enchantment was how Katherine May does not shy away from being neurodivergent and dealing with the changes we’ve experienced globally. She talks about running: constantly moving from one app to the news channel to the next without actually doing anything meaningful or fulfilling. She structures the book in relation to the elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Each of these is important to who we are as humans, and the farther we drift from our connection to the elements, the closer we get to losing ourselves. Enchantment is a beautifully written book examining our connection to our communities, nature, and ourselves.

Rating: 5/5

Link*: Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May - Amazon | Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May - Bookshop.org

If you’re interested in this, read*: Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

Book Club Reading Guide: Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May