Sometimes we read a book to be inspired. When Annabel Abbs wanted to find out why people walked long distances, she found most books were written by men and didn't match how she felt when walking. So she set out to discover women's accounts of walking and why they did it. She then tried going in their footsteps.
The result is a fascinating look into how society judged these women and how they felt about that. It also explores what the women discovered about themselves. Abbs then cleverly adds in her own feelings as she follows so of their trips.
I feel that this is a book to dip into every now and again so I would recommend a real book rather than an ebook.

Ever since reading Rebecca Solnit’s ‘Wanderlust’ , over twenty years ago in 2000, I have been interested in the embodied practice of walking and how it helps individuals to connect with their physical and emotional environments. Now a well-studied research area, walking studies are also taking a foothold outside academia, and this beautifully-written, introspective book is a good introduction. Its title ‘Windswept’ may well refer to the author’s own childhood experiences of rural Wales, but unlike other recent releases, this is not just a personal memoir. Instead, we get a work of creative non-fiction that introduces us to fascinating women such as writer Daphne du Maurier (on her walks along the Rhône), painter Georgia O’Keeffe (who walks through near-deserted areas of New Mexico and Texas), with plenty of opportunities to consider the benefits of walking as a means of making sense of the larger real and imaginary worlds. Truly a gem of a book!

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the free ARC I received in exchange for this honest and unbiased review.

Windswept is a beautifully written and inspiring work. It is a meditation on the fundamental nature of walking and connecting with the outside world. It features the thoughts and experiences of famous women including Frieda Lawrence, Gwen John, Simone de Beauvoir and my personal favourite, Nan Shepherd. The accounts of how they understand themselves, their relationships and their place in the world are interspersed with the author's own recollections of walking in the wild and its impact on her life.

This was a captivating and thought provoking read which recognises the lack of attention that has been paid to these trailblazing women who ventured into a domain always regarded as male territory. A place that only men were permitted to explore in writing.

The richly descriptive writing conjures up the varied landscapes through which the women walk. The insights into their lives and the constraints imposed upon them are intelligently examined.

I really recommend this exceptional and provocative book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Living and moving in a dynamic relationship with Gaia

There is a kind of writing of biography, and writing about art and creativity, science and the natural world, which seems to me to be particularly, though not exclusively, a female one. Stunning exemplars of this are Olivia Laing (To The River, The Lonely City) and Helen Macdonald (Hawk, Vesper Flights) To that exemplar list, on this showing, I must add Annabel Abbs

What is this particularly female viewpoint? It is a breaking down of the ‘illusion’ that we can ever be a purely disinterested clinical and objective observer of anything or anyone. We are always in relationship, with agenda, and the observer is always participating and influencing/being influenced by what is observed, and indeed, we all wear spectacles, rose coloured or not, which colour and define the seen.

There are of course male writers doing the same kind of thing – in relationship to the natural world, I would cite Peter Wohlebenn – The Hidden Life of Trees, and, particularly poet and novelist Andrew Greig At the Loch of the Green Corrie)

The starting point of this book is the healing power of the natural world itself, and most particularly, of what happens when we walk the wild places. Abbs has pointed out that many books about this are written my males. What about walking women? Again, there is often a different experience recounted by explorers who might come to wild in terms of something to be conquered – highest, deepest, longest, fastest etc – and those who have walked for solace, self-discovery and in surrender and appreciation, not to mention a reverence for the world being moved through.

This kind of walking, this kind of writing, is springing from an empathy, a desire to connect with what is being written about

Abbs explores the biography and writing of various women artists and writers who were inspired, healed and expanded by a spiritual, mystical embracing of the observed and explored landscape, and were long distance wild walkers

Her ‘subjects’ are Frieda Lawrence, Gwen John, Simone de Beauvoir, Nan Shepherd, Georgia O’ Keefe, Clare Vyvyan, a writer and walker unknown to me, who links to Daphne du Maurier.

I must admit, that initially I found Abbs’ own immersion into their stories, and her style, a little overworked, in terms of creating the connection between herself and her ‘subjects’ – but that was only with the first explored woman – Frieda. ‘Something’ happened for me with the next (and all other) subjects. A perfect empathetic meshing of Abbs’ own story and following journeys, and theirs. And the further I read, the more meaningful each exploration became. This reader’s heart, mind and understanding expanded by an empathetic writer helping to take me into the presence of those she was writing about and seeking to connect with, as female human beings, and the landscapes they were coming into a giving and receiving relationship with.

Abbs is a glorious writer, and a powerful opener of empathy. Reading this is like going on a walk with many amazing and inspiring companions

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me this one as a digital ARC. I’m likely to be gifting this book, in woodform, to various female friends, walkers and creatives whom I know will be as inspired, uplifted and expanded by it as I have been

Thoroughly interesting and enjoyable. These incredible women were way ahead of their time in many aspects of their lives. Annabel’s meticulous research results in her own story being intertwined and expressively written, successfully transporting me on each of these inspiring journeys. So many elements of this book are uplifting and inspiring.

I read this via #netgally
What a fascinating read, Annabels' childhood in Wales and the length and depths she goes to, to describe her interests and the motivation behind the 5 strong and inspirational women she introduces us to with great passion and insight. Thank you.

The author examines the subject of rural walking, whether in the British hills, Texan plains, or French forests, and why we know the stories of so few women who walked for hundreds of miles compared to men. The author posits several reasons; physical issues such as dealing with menstruation and pregnancy whilst walking, safety which is usually more of a concern for women, and the confinement of women's daily lives with their loads of both physical and mental work to maintain a household. Even with all these issues to contend with, this book looks at examples of women who were determined to walk such as Simone de Beauvoir, Georgia O'Keefe, and Daphne du Maurier.

The author has definitely captured the feelings that one gets when out in nature and especially near water - the feeling of inner tranquility where the cares of life melt away. It was definitely an interesting read, having not heard of some of the women featured, but personally though, I found the overall tone to be melancholy rather than inspiring. So many of the women seem to have led either sad or unfulfilled lives in many ways. Overall I rated it 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, John Murray Press/Two Roads, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Abbs follows in the footsteps of women who walked to escape, to learn about themselves and to heal. She rertaces their steps learning about them and herself as she walks. These walks take her all over the world, sometimes alone and sometimes with her family.

I really enjoyed this book, the blend of Abbs' personal history and that of the women she chose to write about makes for a very interesting book. While each chapter focuses on one women, Frieda von Richthofen, Gwen John, Clara Vyvyan, Nan Shepherd, Simone de Beauvoir, Georgia O'Keeffe they are not the only walking women to feature in the book. While these women all walked different paths at different point of the 19th and 20th Centuries they did have many things in common. The common thread that seemed to run through all of their journeys was a discovery of "spiritual independence and truth," and becoming their true selves.

Being written by a female author and talking about female walkers made this book more relatable for me. While I have enjoyed many books on nature and walking written by male authors they don't touch on "The vulnerability that plagues the solo female walker, that makes our experience infinitely more complicated".

Thanks to NetGalley, Annabel Abbs and John Murray Press for my ARC.

Windswept is a wondrous and provocative work, acclaimed writer Annabel Abbs follows the footsteps of extraordinary women who walked in wild landscapes throughout history. Annabel Abbs’s Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women is a beautifully written meditation and memoir that reflects on that most fundamental way of connecting with the outdoors: the simple act of walking. In absorbing and transporting prose, Abbs follows in the footsteps of groundbreaking women, including Georgia O’Keeffe in the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, Nan Shepherd in the mountains of Scotland, Gwen John following the French River Garonne, Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhône, and Simone de Beauvoir—who walked as much as twenty-five miles a day in a skirt and espadrilles—in the mountains and forests of France. These trailblazing women were reclaiming what had historically been considered male domains.

The stories of these incredible women and artists are laced together by the wilderness walking in Abbs’s own life, beginning with her poet father who raised her in the Welsh countryside as an “experiment,” according to the principles of Rousseau. Windswept is an inventive retrospective and an arresting look forward to the way walking brings about a kind of clarity of thought not found in any other activity, and how it has allowed women throughout history to reimagine their lives and break free from convention. As Abbs traces the paths of these exceptional women, she realizes that she, too, is walking away from, and towards, a very different future. Windswept crosses continents and centuries in an arresting and stirring reflection on the power of walking in nature. A captivating, thoughtful & richly described read highlighting the redemptive power of nature and how it has the beauty to ground and guide. Highly recommended.

I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Annabel Abbs's study of traveling women in the early 19th century is incredibly well-researched, the stories of Frieda, Gwen, Clara, Daphne, Nan, Simone, and Georgia come together beautifully in an oddly mirrorlike sense. soulmates backpacking, life-lasting mistakes, near-death situations, the works of an adventurer whether it's Beauvoir making her way through the south of France or Keefe being inspired camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I hope Mrs. Abbs will continue her writing and sharing of women's stories. I will be first in line for them.

Annabel Abbs follows in the footsteps of women, authors and artists who walked to overcome the constraints of early twentieth century society, to gain freedom or heal after traumatic life experiences. The women are Frieda von Richthofen who, in marrying DH Lawrence, had to give up her own children; painter Gwen John, Clara Vyvyan, gardener, social worker and author who walked with Daphne du Maurier, novelist Nan Shepherd, Simone de Beauvoir, Georgia O’Keefe and Emma Gatewood, the first woman to walk the Appalachian Trail on her own. While Nan Shepherd and her wonderful book about the Cairngorms, The Living Mountain have been rediscovered fairly recently, many women walkers are nowhere nearly as well known as men and Abbs addresses this imbalance. Interspersed with the life stories and transformative experiences walking provided for these women are Abbs’s own life and experiences.

I enjoyed Widnswept very much. Abbs blends personal and universal experiences well for the most part and the book made me look inward and think about my own ramblings as well as about lives and experiences of the women she portrays. It also made me desperately want to go away for a few days hiking. I’m in awe of what these women achieved without all the ‘mod cons’ I take for granted like good hiking boots and waterproofs but most of all, it’s inspiring to read about the power of nature and landscape to invigorate, heal and restore. Highly recommended.

My thanks to John Murray Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Windswept.

I really enjoyed this book, especially reading about Annabel's childhood. Wasn’t sure if I’d like this book but I was blown away. Definitely worth a read.

This is an absolute treasure of a book. It is an account of well known women (some more well known than others from Gwen John to Georgia O’Keefe) who walked and who saw walking as an integral part of their lives. They often used it as a way of healing and/or inspiring as well as for enjoyment. It intertwines their stories with those of the author’s love of walking and her own move from one part of life into another.

While the stories of the women are fascinating in their own right, the book feels like much more than a series of biographies. Abbs’s website describes it as “a feminist exploration of walking in wild landscapes” and I couldn’t agree more. I am a huge fan of walking, not just for the physical benefits but for the mental too, and I therefore identified with it more than others perhaps would but I thought it was a wonderful book beautifully written. It made me examine (as the author and many of the women featured also do) why I don’t always feel comfortable walking alone, why I don’t do more challenging walks and why, historically and still now, there are attitudes against solo female walkers.

If you’re not a fan of walking, I don’t know what else could persuade you what a worthwhile activity it is other than this book. I would recommend it anyone and I plan to buy it for many of my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved this book and deliberately read it quite slowly to savour it. I'd heard of half the women but had no idea that, aside from Nan Shepherd, they were all walkers.
Abbs touches on a number of important points around the issues of walking as freedom for women - often an escape from the responsibilities of the drudgery of domestic life but also the expectations of (mostly) male others.
I found her musings on fear interesting too - where she is talking about panicking about her children on a cliff in the Dolomites, it immediately brought back the very physical panic I still have flashbacks to, of my own daughter slipping at Neist Point in Skye (she was absolutely fine, I wasn't!).
I was really glad to also see such a comprehensive index as I intend to now read a lot of the texts she refers. It's a welcome addition to recent feminist considerations of women walking by the likes of Olivia Laing and Rebecca Solnit too.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. (Goodreads review and 5*)

Part wild-walk, part memoir, Windswept follows an exhilarating journey from Abbs' isolated car-less childhood to her walking the remote paths trodden by six creative women, Nan Shepherd walking in the mountains of Scotland, Simone de Beauvoir who walks in the mountains and forests of France, Gwen John following the Garonne, Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhone and Georgia O’Keeffe who walks the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, , who were compelled to break from their home boundedness by walking…and walking.

In the home, these women, as many others, suffered control, denigration and violence. Yet, by searching for a space of their own, travelling alone or in female company, they were continually confronted by the risk of assault.

Through walking, the women transgressed societal boundaries, re-evaluated their worth, reinvented, transformed, and realised their sensuality.

Poignant and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed this book, especially reading about Annabel's childhood.
Thank you to John Murray Press and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Women wild walking.

Annabel Abbs follows in the footsteps of six creative women, including Simone de Beauvoir, Daphne du Maurier and Georgia O’Keeffe, who were compelled to break from their home boundedness by walking…and walking.

In the home, these women, as many others, suffered control, denigration and violence. Yet, by searching for a space of their own, travelling alone or in female company, they were continually confronted by the risk of assault.

Through walking, the women transgressed societal boundaries, re-evaluated their worth, reinvented, transformed, and realised their sensuality.

Poignant and thought-provoking.

My thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads for the ARC.

Such an interesting and eye opening read.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this, it wasn't what I expected and don't read a lot of non-fiction. But I did like this.

I loved learning more about Daphne Du Maurier, one of my all time favourite authors. But aside from that, it was fascinating learning more about the lives of these incredible women and the impact nature, landscape and walking can have on us.

After 2020, it has definitely taught me to appreciate the outdoors and realise how lucky I am to have access to the sea and downs very easily.

A very reflective read

I was swept away by this book the independent women their life walks .From Freda Leaving her family walking away with D.H.Lawrence leaving her husband and not realizing she would no longer have her children.The author shares her walk her intimate thoughts of her family the children growing soon leaving home.her family’s walk.Each independent strong woman like the book was fascinating.Will be recommending to my strong women friends showing them the joy of walking.#netgalley #windswept

‘I’ll walk where my own nature would be leading:it vexes me to choose another guide’ Emily Bronte

‘A dreamer, I walked enchanted and nothing held me back’ Daphne du Maurier.

This was partially a memoir and partly the author following in the footsteps of walking women which I daresay I downloaded on a whim as I’m missing my walking holidays but I’m so glad I did. This was a fascinating book which was great to read in small chunks.

The insights into the authors life growing up without modern amenities in Wales and the pull she felt for open spaces especially when domesticity contained her in four walls and how she related this to these walking women was inspiring. There were two women that came across particularly strongly were the artists and you felt the authors passion as they meant something to her. Gwen John (1876-1939) renowned artist, sister of Augustus and one time lover of August Rodin is exceptionally well done as you got insights into their lives and Gwen’s walks especially from Bordeaux to Rome which the author partially recreated. Georgia O’Keeffe (1889-1986) was also brilliantly done with the artist, like the author, finding solace in empty spaces in which she walked for miles. It was excellent on O’Keefe’s background especially with photographer Alfred Stieglitz whom she married. The authors descriptions of the Texas panhandle were wonderful as it similarly spoke to her as she followed in the artists footsteps. O’Keefe’s paintings of her time in Texas and New Mexico captured her love of the landscapes.

Another one I enjoyed for personal reasons was Frieda Lawrence (1879-1956) the German born wife and muse of DH Lawrence whose books I devoured and relished as an A Level student especially resonated as I was born in Nottinghamshire. Frieda like many other women walked in search of freedom and adventure from the Bavarian Uplands through the Austrian Tyrol to the Italian Lakes and it’s fair to say that’s the closest she got to real freedom. Other women covered are Clara Vyvyan (1885-1976) and her friend Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989). Vyvyan walked from source to the mouth of the Rhône to try to bring peace and order to her life, she also walked in Canada, Alaska and Greece with the Daphne often accompanying her. Included also was Nan Shepherd (1893-1981) author, poet and writer of ‘The Living Mountain ‘ which recounted her Cairngorm walks which the author also retraced with her son and Simone de Beauvoir(1887-1986) hiked in Provence, The Dolomites and The Alps to reset, probably very necessary because of her relationship with who was well known for his wandering eye! Finally, Emma Gatewood (1887-1973) who was the first woman to solo walk the Appalachian Trail but she was not dealt with in any great depth.

I enjoyed this book very much gaining some very good insights into these women who yearned for liberty from the constraints that society placed on women at that time. By putting one foot in front of the other they found the freedom for which they yearned.

With thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press : Two Roads for the arc in return for an honest review.

Following in the footsteps (ha!) of Rebecca Solnit, Lauren Elkin and others who have recently rediscovered the flaneuse, Abbs traces the rural walking and hiking habits of a group of female artists who used walking as a space of identity construction. This is wild walking, not the urban pedestrianism of the traditional flaneuse, an environment that Abbs herself finds freeing.

The woman are varied: Simone de Beauvoir, Georgia O'Keefe, Frieda Lawrence et al., and Abbs is cognizant of the way their race, marital status or relation to motherhood and wealth allowed the freedom to go walking for pleasure as opposed to through necessity - she has the consciousness to see how even the concept of being a walker is bound up with social categories and power.

As is often the case with these sort of granular biographies/group biographies, I was far less interested in Abbs (sorry!) than in the women she's concerned with - an interesting read, all the same.