The Salt Path

I love the grittiness of this—an account of a walk along the South West Coast path, when terminal illness and poverty haunt the walkers and everything is in a state of flux.

It doesn’t glamorize the walk; it’s often uncomfortable with lots of biting wind and pouring rain. At times, there are even threats from others they come across who are sleeping rough. Overall, it’s a description of nature at its most raw and authentic.

Although we glimpse moments of inspiration and beauty, I like the fact, as well, that it doesn’t have a big, blowsy Hollywood ending—at… show more.

This book tells the real-life story of two people who are quite literally taking control of their destiny by choosing to walk rather than stay put—but while we understand what they have left, we—and they—have no idea what lies ahead.

I loved it because it was so raw and real and because it felt as though we were experiencing every blister and rain-sodden day with them. But I also loved it because it reminds us, clearly and simply, that we always have a choice of how to live our lives. 

I love the simplicity of this wonderful adventure in the face of adversity and on the tightest of shoestrings. This book brilliantly shows how top-quality experiences do not require money, airplanes, or any other kind of environmental burden—just imagination and courage—and the ability to notice the beauty that is already close at hand.

This book inspired me to walk some of the South West Coast Path myself.

I loved this book because it is a very engaging true story, one that I have huge admiration for. To literally just walk the South-West Coast Path when you have been made homeless and one partner has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I found their story inspiring. When they walked, they had nothing, but by the time they finished, in many ways, they had everything. 

I was amazed at how brilliantly observant the author was in her descriptions of nature, the scenery, people, and even the weather. This book certainly inspired me to walk sections of the South-West Coast… show more.

I loved this book for the wallop of its beginning, which details that the narrator, Raynor (and her husband, Moth), were driven to walk England’s 630-mile South West Coast Path because they became homeless.

This is an extraordinarily powerful example of how when life gives you lemons, an adventure can make you lemonade.

Raynor and her husband, Moth, are destitute. Moth has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. They have lost everything; house, work, and income. They have nowhere to go.

So they decide to go for a walk; a very long walk; around the coastline of the West Country following the South Coastal Path. Raynor shares with us, in poetic detail, the minutiae of their struggle, both physical and emotional. As they battle with the force of nature’s elements, something starts to happen.

They begin to identify a way forward and Moth begins to feel stronger. This true story will inspire you.… show more.

I picked this memoir up in Glasgow’s International Airport, desperate for something to read on the long flight back to Denver. The title is what drew me. It, too, promised a road trip of a different sort: A walking-the-path story. I started reading while waiting for my flight and was immediately engaged.

Past middle-aged, homeless hikers, this Welsh couple, husband and wife, strikeout to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path from Somerset to Dorset. The husband has been recently diagnosed with an incurable disease. They have lost their home and farm, and they decide to set out walking. Because… show more.

I love The Salt Path because I connect with the struggle of the couple in their fifties walking day after day on the South West Coast Path, an English footpath, as my husband and I had just finished walking the Grande Randonnée (GR5) in Europe.

We walked as part of our adult gap year. They walked because they became homeless. Winn’s poetic writing brought me deep into their trials of homelessness, illness, and quest for what is ‘Home”. 

I was absorbed by the almost fairy tale story of people falling on bad luck, feeling they have nowhere to turn to, so set out on a journey, and it is the journey itself that saves them.

The act of walking, of being in nature, and of letting go of the known. I found it inspiring. I have done a few long walks myself, and reading the Salt Path felt I wanted to do more.

I also love this book because it speaks to slow tourism - exploring your own backyard.

Even if you haven't walked the South West Coast Path in England, if you love reading about nature, adventure, and true, inspiring journeys, you'll love this memoir.

The writing is excellent and the story is heartfelt and totally memorable. By the time you finish reading, you’ll feel like you’ve just walked the 630-mile path along with Raynor and her husband!