The Salt Path
By Raynor Winn
Would you run away on an adventure if you lost your family home at the same time as your husband received a terminally-ill diagnosis?
This memoir tells the true story of Raynor Winn’s impulsive walk and wild-camping adventure along the 630-mile South West Coast Path from Somerset to Dorset with her sick husband, Moth. They slept in a basic tent, lived off less than £30 a week and used the essentials they had in their backpacks whilst they pounded the path in all weathers. Along the way, they discovered a new existence and learnt that enduring happiness can be found in how we love rather than what we own.
The story portrays how they came to terms with the losses of their home and Moth’s health and how they discovered the healing power of the natural world. They replaced their old, lost life with a new normal of walking and wild camping. The book is both a descriptive travel-log and an autobiography of how the couple struggled with being penniless and homeless. With no plan and no future ahead of them, the path helps them to formulate a new future.
As a fellow nature lover, it was a joy to read about the stunning coastal landscape, some of which was familiar to me, and I was impressed by the human capacity for endurance along their journey. From travelling with the couple in the story, I learnt that we should not be so quick to judge people by their appearances, especially homeless people who can be innocent victims of misfortune.
Being the widow of a husband who had a terminal illness, I was hoping for more information about the couple’s reactions to Moth’s diagnosis and their struggle in coming to terms with Moth’s illness. As a practical person, I found myself at times frustrated that the couple were missing some key basics, such as suntan cream and soap, and when they were sometimes unable to pay their way it did not rest comfortably with me.
My minor annoyances with the book were overcome by my awe of the courage the couple had to undertake the challenge, despite their ages and Moth’s illness. The book is an easy read but the reaction from other readers seems to vary widely. Some commented that the narrative is repetitive and has a monotonous tone, but many found comfort in the draw of nature and the underlying theme of hope overcoming fear and illness. I personally enjoyed the read but I was not as moved as I had expected to be.
What I liked
The evocative descriptions of nature, the wind, the sea, the sun and the rain – you can almost smell it!
What I wanted
Having experienced living through my loved one being given a death sentence, I wanted to understand more about how they dealt with that emotionally.
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