Swimming with Seals

I live on the Atlantic in Portugal, where a member of my women’s group is Victoria Whitworth’s sister. She mentioned Swimming with Seals, when one evening, our group met for a cold water swim, the backdrop to Victoria’s unusual memoir.

Flowing from one topic to the next with the ease of the accomplished writer that she is – incorporating her Facebook posts on the weather, tides, and temperature – she chronicles her daily cold water swims off Orkney Island, her encounters with seals, orca, and birdlife, while narrating her personal story, juxtaposed with historical anecdotes, myth, and folklore.

I’m… show more.

This is the story of a woman who is having a hard time personally, and she swims to heal herself. She swims to reconnect with her wild nature. And she is brave. She swims in all seasons, all weathers, all conditions. Once she was almost pushed against craggy rocks.

I swim too. I love seals, and know this act of taking to the water - our small bit of wild - to reconnect with my wild nature.

I loved the vulnerability that shines through in this book and I like to read of strong women who dare connect with nature… show more.