Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women
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- Create Date：2021-08-30 06:19:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Annabel Abbs
- ISBN：1951142705
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Reviews
Beverly
，
I won a copy of “Windswept” on Goodreads First Reads。 I love books about adventurers。 This book was unique and fascinating mix of memoir and stories of adventurous， fascinating women。
Susan
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This was an interesting read。It was kind of a memoir of the author's walks but she chose her walks based on interesting women who had experienced epic walks。 She felt that most books about walks were written by men or about men。The writing was good and the stories were different and interesting。The women whose footsteps she walked in ranged from Freida Lawrence through to Georgia O' Keeffeand included Gwen John， Clara Vyvyan， Simone de Beauvoir， Daphne Du Maurier and Nan Shepherd。 You learn a bi This was an interesting read。It was kind of a memoir of the author's walks but she chose her walks based on interesting women who had experienced epic walks。 She felt that most books about walks were written by men or about men。The writing was good and the stories were different and interesting。The women whose footsteps she walked in ranged from Freida Lawrence through to Georgia O' Keeffeand included Gwen John， Clara Vyvyan， Simone de Beauvoir， Daphne Du Maurier and Nan Shepherd。 You learn a bit more about each of these women famous for different things as the author retraces their footsteps in places around the world。It was interesting but it didn't grip me。 I think my interest depended on how much I was interested in the women whos footstepsshe was following。 。。。more
Dee
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Part historic/part memoir。 I enjoyed the author's prose and description of each female walker （who was a real person）。 I would read about one lady then put the book down for a couple of days before picking it up again and reading about the next character。 That way I could savor each character's history。 Part historic/part memoir。 I enjoyed the author's prose and description of each female walker （who was a real person）。 I would read about one lady then put the book down for a couple of days before picking it up again and reading about the next character。 That way I could savor each character's history。 。。。more
Denyce
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ought quite normal。" Annabel Abbs has done a remarkable job of bringing out into the light some exceptional women who walked in a time when walking alone was considered abnormal。 In addition， she gives them a voice。。。 recovering from an accident and desperate to walk， whilst reading books about walking she realises that the majority， if not all books about walking， are written by men。 Where are the women， she wonders？Well， here they are。 Gwen John， Simone de Beauvoir， Nan Shepherd， Georgia O'Ke ought quite normal。" Annabel Abbs has done a remarkable job of bringing out into the light some exceptional women who walked in a time when walking alone was considered abnormal。 In addition， she gives them a voice。。。 recovering from an accident and desperate to walk， whilst reading books about walking she realises that the majority， if not all books about walking， are written by men。 Where are the women， she wonders？Well， here they are。 Gwen John， Simone de Beauvoir， Nan Shepherd， Georgia O'Keefe， Frieda Von RIchthofen。 We learn of their lives and their stories， their walking and the adversities they faced， written in engaging and captivating prose。 Annabel walks some of their journeys and considers her own life and circumstances and what walking has meant to her。 I loved this book。 Anyone who is interested in the loss of women's voices throughout history and who loves walking should read it。 It will be a book I refer to again and again。 It's an inspiring and important book。 Every page is a delight。With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc。 。。。more
Audrey
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Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy。 This was a fascinating look at the role of walking for pleasure or emotional and physical well-being by creative women from history。 These artistic women took walking seriously and braved societal recriminations and male hostility or extreme interest。 Abbs delves into her own health and family challenges as she walks the routes of her heroines。 Her writing is beautiful。 The overall narrative would have been better without the Si Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy。 This was a fascinating look at the role of walking for pleasure or emotional and physical well-being by creative women from history。 These artistic women took walking seriously and braved societal recriminations and male hostility or extreme interest。 Abbs delves into her own health and family challenges as she walks the routes of her heroines。 Her writing is beautiful。 The overall narrative would have been better without the Simone de Beauvoir section。 Beauvoir tended to take a more "all or nothing" view of walking and solitude。 Overall， this was an intriguing look at the intersection of nature and feminism。 。。。more
Lou Barber
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Windswept is such a brilliant read。 Following in the footsteps of a group of pioneering women， who dared to live unconstrained by society's fetters， the author becomes freer， happier and healthier - by walking。 Walking in green spaces。 Hiking in mountains and desert areas。 Overcoming fears and allowing her vulnerability to guide her， not consume her。 The women who inspired her were pioneers， rebels， misfits and damaged souls。 But they dared to stride out into the world and here they found joyous Windswept is such a brilliant read。 Following in the footsteps of a group of pioneering women， who dared to live unconstrained by society's fetters， the author becomes freer， happier and healthier - by walking。 Walking in green spaces。 Hiking in mountains and desert areas。 Overcoming fears and allowing her vulnerability to guide her， not consume her。 The women who inspired her were pioneers， rebels， misfits and damaged souls。 But they dared to stride out into the world and here they found joyous solitude and peace and creative inspiration。A truly inspiring book that makes me want to pack a rucksack， don my walking boots and discover the beauty of wild walking。 。。。more
Helene
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4。5 rounded up。 I started this book in May and finished it in July。 Why did it take me so long？ I savoured it。 This book is non-fiction， part memoir， part biography， part travel book。 It mentions Georgia O’Keeffe in Texas and New Mexico， Nan Shepherd in Scotland， Gwen John following the French River Garonne， Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhône， Simone de Beauvoir in France， and more。 This book is for you if you like:🚶♀️walking/travelling🚶♀️strong， influential women🚶♀️descriptions of n 4。5 rounded up。 I started this book in May and finished it in July。 Why did it take me so long？ I savoured it。 This book is non-fiction， part memoir， part biography， part travel book。 It mentions Georgia O’Keeffe in Texas and New Mexico， Nan Shepherd in Scotland， Gwen John following the French River Garonne， Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhône， Simone de Beauvoir in France， and more。 This book is for you if you like:🚶♀️walking/travelling🚶♀️strong， influential women🚶♀️descriptions of nature: deserts， mountains， countryside。。。🚶♀️non-fiction written like fiction; poetic， lyrical descriptions of landscapes🚶♀️mental health and queer representation Each section follows a different famous woman （writer or artist） and I don't just mean figuratively: the author actually retraced the steps of some of these women's hikes， most gruelling and risky。 In the process she reflects on the fact that these women transgressed many rules and conventions by venturing in the wild， on their own， or just with one other female companion。 Some passages made me crave travelling。 Luckily， during lockdown I had access to a communal garden and nearby parks， and my flat is full of plants。 BUT walking on new paths。。。 in countries with other languages。。。 with gorgeous flora and fauna。。。 I do miss dearly。 This book is not just shallow escapism， though。 I learnt about relationships， what made these artists feel at peace， or what drove them to despair。 And often， the damage caused by men in their lives。 It is definitely a feminist book。 My only gripe was that I sometimes had to Google certain places or artworks to have a visual representation of them， which took me out of the book a bit too much。 But if you're an art enthusiast this probably won't be an issue！ Thank you @netgalley for providing me with an ebook of Annabel Abbs’s "Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women" in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Annie
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An interesting read about many famous artisan Women who used Walking to help them through life 。& for them to feel at one with the Land & Landscape that surrounded them。 `` In order to speak with the earth 。。。。。。。。。。。to partake of the sanctity of a landscape we must appreciate the journey and put the destination aside and we must Walk '' Shirley Toulson， `The Moors of the Southwest'-1983。Annabel Abbs looks at the Psychology behind these Women's need to walk long recognised Trails and new ones ， An interesting read about many famous artisan Women who used Walking to help them through life 。& for them to feel at one with the Land & Landscape that surrounded them。 `` In order to speak with the earth 。。。。。。。。。。。to partake of the sanctity of a landscape we must appreciate the journey and put the destination aside and we must Walk '' Shirley Toulson， `The Moors of the Southwest'-1983。Annabel Abbs looks at the Psychology behind these Women's need to walk long recognised Trails and new ones ， by walking many of them herself both alone & with her family during her research for this Book。 It is not any easy read by any stretch of one's imagination ， but it opens up a whole new world of respect for many of the Women she includes in her Book from the likes of Frieda Lawrence nee Von Richthofen 1879 -1956 to Emma Gatewood 1887 - 1973。 #FB， #Instagram， #Goodreads， #NetGalley ， # Amazon。co。uk ， #， #，# 。。。more
Karen Mace
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Just glorious！！ I found this book to be inspiring， thought provoking， educational， fascinating and just wonderful！ The author uses her own life experiences， especially when she found herself in hospital unable to walk， to explore the art of walking and the fact that there was very few books around by women about walking and their adventures， when there are so many by men。 With extensive research she uncovers some amazing characters - many of whom I had heard nothing about - and has brought their Just glorious！！ I found this book to be inspiring， thought provoking， educational， fascinating and just wonderful！ The author uses her own life experiences， especially when she found herself in hospital unable to walk， to explore the art of walking and the fact that there was very few books around by women about walking and their adventures， when there are so many by men。 With extensive research she uncovers some amazing characters - many of whom I had heard nothing about - and has brought their stories to life by challenging herself to walk the routes they did in the past， and this really just makes this book so immersive and inspiring。The women she features are Frieda Lawrence， Gwen John， Clara Vyvyan， Nan Shepherd， Simone de Beauvoir， Georgia O'Keefe， but there is also reference to Daphne Du Maurier and Emma Gatewood。All very different women but all sharing a deep passion for walking， exploring - and shockingly for women - walking by themselves！！ The shame！！ But in their adventures they enjoyed the freedom it gave them and allowed them to find their own minds， and the author shared these feelings as she uses each chapter to share her walk， alongside that of the woman she was walking in the footsteps of。 There's a look back in time to the lives of these amazing women， their trials and tribulations， the scandals， alongside her own experiences and thoughts on the changes over time as to the attitudes towards a variety of different topics。It explores the benefits to your health of walking， the stories of the kindness of strangers met along the way， the pitfalls and reality of walking in the middle of nowhere by yourself， and the overwhelming sense of achievement and confidence these women had when they had finished a walk。 And how eager they were to go on other adventures。 Some weren't afraid to go against convention， some lost their families over their actions， but most were just inspired by the solace they felt while walking， despite all of them having a real strong attachment to 'home' and realising just how little they needed in their lives。I learnt so much about these women as the author relayed their stories， alongside her own walking experiences and how that time alone gave her time to think over her life choices。 Reading about these women， inspired me to research a little more about them and their work and it's been enlightening to learn more about these amazing women。 The way the author connected with each woman also made this more of an experience as she wanted to feel what It is one of those books that inspires， educates and just makes you want to walk！！ To use your time wisely， and when you get the chance to grab that time for yourself and go out exploring， no matter how near or far！ 。。。more
Lauren Carruthers
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The title for this could not be more apt， that's exactly how you feel on coming to the end of this wonderful book， windswept。 Windswept in the most alive and refreshed sense as though you've just come down a hill on a breezy summer day。Abbs's research is clear to see throughout the anecdotes and routes described of the incredible women she's focused on here， and I love that she's retraced so many of their steps in her own way as well。Would recommend this book to anyone。 Just reading it has left The title for this could not be more apt， that's exactly how you feel on coming to the end of this wonderful book， windswept。 Windswept in the most alive and refreshed sense as though you've just come down a hill on a breezy summer day。Abbs's research is clear to see throughout the anecdotes and routes described of the incredible women she's focused on here， and I love that she's retraced so many of their steps in her own way as well。Would recommend this book to anyone。 Just reading it has left me feeling lighter and freer。 I'm a lifelong walker and nature lover anyway， but the sense of empowerment that's evoked through the lives retold here will entrance even the most hermit-y of hermits。 。。。more
Claire O'Sullivan
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What an amazing read ！ Spending time with authors， philosophers， mountaineers， poets and artists through the medium of walking was such a privilege。 These women were conjured by Annabel Abbs into the here and now， with so much to relate to despite the passage of time 。 I loved this book。
Trisha
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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 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。 。。。more
Melanie
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Wonderful book about women walking into nature to discover themselves， find solace， find change and ultimately to become。 The author follows the footsteps of several women， artists and writers， as they discover their self and their art by returning to nature。 In doing so， Abbs finds herself along the way。"But don't we all feel different， beyond ourselves， in the places that speak to our souls？""From outer strength comes inner freedom。" Wonderful book about women walking into nature to discover themselves， find solace， find change and ultimately to become。 The author follows the footsteps of several women， artists and writers， as they discover their self and their art by returning to nature。 In doing so， Abbs finds herself along the way。"But don't we all feel different， beyond ourselves， in the places that speak to our souls？""From outer strength comes inner freedom。" 。。。more
Lady Fancifull
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Living and moving in a dynamic relationship with GaiaThere 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 AbbsWhat is this particularly female viewpoint？ It is a breaking down of the ‘illus Living and moving in a dynamic relationship with GaiaThere 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 AbbsWhat 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 aboutAbbs 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 walkersHer ‘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 companionsThank 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 。。。more
Mary
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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 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。 。。。more
Lou
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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’K 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。 。。。more
Robyn Little
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I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest reviewAnnabel 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 Rid I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest reviewAnnabel 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。 。。。more
mylogicisfuzzy
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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 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。 。。。more
Lucy Reynolds
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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 cli 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。 。。。more
Amanda
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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 socie 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。 。。。more
Ceecee
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‘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 ameni ‘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’Keeffe’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 them 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。 。。。more
Sharyn
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This is a very interesting book about women walking。 Why they chose to walk， what drove them to it， how they coped wth their sex and gender issues。 Menstruation is mentioned too - something that rarely gets a mention but really hampers some women's ability to just go off and do something。 An interesting set of women to focus on， I had heard of about half of them and have a book about Gatewood that has been hiding on my kindle for a couple of years now。 I have ordered nan Shepherd's book about th This is a very interesting book about women walking。 Why they chose to walk， what drove them to it， how they coped wth their sex and gender issues。 Menstruation is mentioned too - something that rarely gets a mention but really hampers some women's ability to just go off and do something。 An interesting set of women to focus on， I had heard of about half of them and have a book about Gatewood that has been hiding on my kindle for a couple of years now。 I have ordered nan Shepherd's book about the Cairngorms。 Annabel Abbs has included many fascinating facts and bits of research about the benefits of walking and also quite a bit about her childhood and formative years。 Overall it's a darn good read。 Wth thanks to the author， the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title。 。。。more
Emma Hardy
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A really interesting choice of women picked here and a some great stories told。 If you have a personal interest in any of these women you will appreciate this even more （being Cornish and now living in Wales Du Maurier and Gwen John I knew but good to know more。）I didn't expect the locations chosen which made it even more interesting too。Packed with lots of history， points of interest， fascinating locations and Abbs' own take make it even more atmospheric。Great insight into some not usually chos A really interesting choice of women picked here and a some great stories told。 If you have a personal interest in any of these women you will appreciate this even more （being Cornish and now living in Wales Du Maurier and Gwen John I knew but good to know more。）I didn't expect the locations chosen which made it even more interesting too。Packed with lots of history， points of interest， fascinating locations and Abbs' own take make it even more atmospheric。Great insight into some not usually chosen women。 Great read。 。。。more
Chantal Lyons
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'Windswept' is a powerfully feminist travelogue-meets-art。 I do not consider myself to be particularly cultured， and while I was already familiar with Nan Shepherd （though shamefully 'The Living Mountain' is still on my TBR list）， the other household names in this book were really just that; names。 So I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them better， in places I could understand yearning for; from the deserts of Texas and New Mexico to the snowy Alps。 With a historian's eye for overlooked detail 'Windswept' is a powerfully feminist travelogue-meets-art。 I do not consider myself to be particularly cultured， and while I was already familiar with Nan Shepherd （though shamefully 'The Living Mountain' is still on my TBR list）， the other household names in this book were really just that; names。 So I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them better， in places I could understand yearning for; from the deserts of Texas and New Mexico to the snowy Alps。 With a historian's eye for overlooked details in letters， paintings， and books， Abbs seeks to recast the conventional images held of these famous women and， by extension， history's forgotten women。 It's a book that feels alive， too; Abbs spends much of the book retracing the women's steps as far as she can， relating her journeys in elegant prose。 I very much connected with her musings on how making our bodies more physically powerful is a way to engage more fully with the world， and I very much appreciated the way she addressed the practicalities of being a woman walking - both in the past， and the present。I feel both soothed and inspired， and eager to get out on a good long walk。（With thanks to John Murray Press and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review） 。。。more
Sue Frances
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Part wild-walk， part memoir， Windswept follows an exhilarating journey from Abbs' isolated car-less childhood to her walking the remote paths trodden by extraordinary 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 Garonne， Simone de Beauvoir in the mountains and forests of France and Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhone。 I really enjoyed this book， especially reading about Annabel's childhood Part wild-walk， part memoir， Windswept follows an exhilarating journey from Abbs' isolated car-less childhood to her walking the remote paths trodden by extraordinary 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 Garonne， Simone de Beauvoir in the mountains and forests of France and Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhone。 I really enjoyed this book， especially reading about Annabel's childhood。 It reminded me of taking my children to Wales on holiday where we would walk for miles。 Happy times！Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Rebecca
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