Wintering

Subtitle: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

Author: Katherine May

Genre: Nonfiction, Self-improvement

Format: Digital Purchase (Kindle)

Publish Date: November 2020

Read: February 2021

Favorite Quote: We must learn to invite the winter in. We may never choose to winter, but we can choose how.

Synopsis: In Wintering, Katherine May looks at some of the slow, reflective, or painful moments life has in store as a season of our lives. Usually, a winter is brought on by something unexpected: a death, a loss, or a physical or emotional change. Sometimes, this can be acute and only in our small bubble of the world, and sometimes, it can be at a macro level, like the pandemic or a war. May encourages readers to accept the winters of our lives and know that spring is soon to arrive.

Why does this book beguile? Wintering is a beautiful book, both in its prose and its message. Katherine May perfectly conveys how important periods of sadness, rest, and respite are in our lives. Throughout Wintering, May describes burnout in addition to sadness. Almost always, these winters arrive when it’s least convenient, but too frequently are our winters caused by pushing ourselves too hard, too fast, and for too long. Our bodies force us into winter like autumn forces a tree into dormancy. The ongoing analogy between our health and the seasons is powerful and beautifully written.

Rating: 5/5

Link*: Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

If you’re interested in this, read*: How to Be Sad by Helen Russell

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