Pathfinding: One Mother's Journey from Wilderness to Freedom
By: Kerri Andrews
What if losing your way is how a new path begins?
From the author of Wanderers: A History of Women Walking comes the story of one mother’s journey from wilderness to freedom.
___
After the upheaval of becoming a mother, walker Kerri Andrews finds herself carrying the idea that maybe the hills are no longer for her.
Yet, as she begins to uncover hidden stories of other mothers who’ve walked, she realises that there may be a way back to adventure – and herself.
So Kerri begins small, with walks along beaches and in cities, joined by women whose lives have also been reshaped by motherhood. And gradually, as her journeys grow bolder, drawing her to the valleys and peaks of her past, a new path begins to open. One that will offer the possibility of reclaiming both the mountains, and her freedom.
The result is an inspirational story for any mother who has ever felt the pull of the outside.
___
‘Left me itching to lace up my boots and follow the call of the path.’ Laura Pashby, author of Chasing Fog
‘Powerful and unflinchingly honest’ Annabel Abbs, author of Windswept
‘An invitation that will leave you desperate to step outside.’ Resurgence & Ecologist
-
‘What a bold, brave book this is. Andrews’ journeys, written with eloquence, honesty and style, have the feeling not of escape so much as encounter – with the landscapes she moves through, and with the lives of walking mothers past and present. Through these encounters, Andrews seems to find new space for herself. I had the feeling, as I read, that she might be clearing a path for us all.’
- Helen Jukes, author of Mother Animal -
‘Powerful and unflinchingly honest, Andrews probes the complexities of motherhood, ultimately finding hope and salvation in companionship, landscape and all those meticulously researched women in whose footsteps she walks.’
- Annabel Abbs, author of Windswept: Why Women Walk -
‘A compelling exploration of the creative ways in which mother-walkers have navigated matrescence. As Kerri Andrews leads the reader over hills and along the shore, she reveals how – through walking – she recovered and redefined a self subsumed by motherhood. This book left me itching to lace up my boots and follow the call of the path.’
- Laura Pashby, author of Chasing Fog -
‘A hugely important book, written with an honesty and a precision that is as welcome as it is rare. I was with her every step of the way.’
- Matt Gaw, author of In All Weathers -
‘Andrews’ lyrical nature writing leaps off nearly every page—the dark grey clouds gathering on the horizon, the geological stripes on the Scottish mountains, the dappled sunlight shining through the trees … Press this book into the hands of any mother and she will see herself on these pages, walker or not.’
- LoveReading -
‘Ultimately, this is a book about a love of walking – in high places of wanderlust, lowlands to allow for healing, or simply for the joy of getting outside … If you feel like you’ve lost your way, amid the mountain narrative, Pathfinding may help you to place yourself once again.’
- The Great Outdoors -
‘I cried, I laughed, I reflected. It was a pleasure following along with Kerri’s journey and I was right there with her. It reinforced how incredibly grateful I am to be a mum and have adventuring in my life.’
- Mountaineering Scotland -
‘A seductive book that leads us as close to the nature and people of an intriguing place as words can.’
- Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read a Tree -
‘This book brings welcome compassion for the frailties of the human body, especially one that has endured pregnancy and birth … Despite the pain and restriction, there is joy and freedom to be found in walking and parenting. Andrews has laid out an invitation that will leave you desperate to step outside.’
- Resurgence & Ecologist
