Katherine May Book order (chronological)

A memoir exploring the complexities of thinking, reading, and the relationship with food, this work reflects on the formative experiences of Sarah Moss's childhood. Growing up, she grappled with societal expectations surrounding the female body and mind, navigating the pressures of 1970s austerity and second-wave feminism. She learned to maintain a slim figure while avoiding vanity, to be intelligent without anger, and to possess practical skills deemed frivolous. Clever girls were encouraged to be ambitious, yet women were expected to remain small. Years later, her struggle with self-control escalated into a medical emergency as her teenage anorexia resurfaced, prompting a confrontation with the denial of her body's needs and her mind's turmoil. This memoir delves into contested memories of girlhood, the relentless voices that influenced her thoughts, and the literature that provided her escape. With its beautiful, audacious, and humorous narrative, this work examines the intricate ways the mind can turn against itself and ultimately find a path to recovery. A compelling exploration of womanhood and resilience, it showcases Moss's compassionate writing about human frailty and the search for identity.

From the internationally bestselling author of Wintering comes this balm for anxious times and an invitationto rediscover the feelings of awe and wonder availableto us all.

"An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down. Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered. A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing Arctic seas. Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season"-- Provided by publisher

A life-affirming and perspective-shifting memoir of one woman's walk in the wilds as she comes to terms with an Asperger's diagnosis.