I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain
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- Create Date：2021-04-19 00:51:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Anita Sethi
- ISBN：1472983939
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Summary
One woman's journey of reclamation through natural landscapes as she contemplates identity and womanhood， nature， place and belonging。
Anita Sethi was on a journey through Northern England in Summer 2019 when she became the victim of a racially motivated hate crime。 The crime was a vicious attack on her right to exist in a place on account of her race。 After the event Anita experienced panic attacks and anxiety。 A crushing sense of claustrophobia made her long for wide open spaces， to breathe deeply in the great outdoors。 She was intent on not letting her experience stop her from traveling freely and without fear。
Between the route from Liverpool to Newcastle lays the Pennines， known as the backbone of Britain。 That backbone runs through the north and also strongly connects north with south， east with west--it's a place of borderlands and limestone， of rivers and scars， of fells and forces。 The Pennines called to Anita with a magnetic force; although a racist had told her to leave， she felt drawn to further explore the area she regards as her home， to immerse herself deeply in place。 Anita's journey through the natural landscapes of the North is one of reclamation， a way of saying that this is her land too and she belongs in the UK as a brown woman， as much as a white man does。
We're living in an era of increased hostility in which more people of color around the world are being told to go back; strong statements of belonging are needed more than ever。 Anita's journey gives her the perspective to reflect upon the important issues encompassed in her experience of abuse including speaking out， gaslighting， trauma， kindness， and notions of strength。 Her journey transforms what began as an ugly experience of hate into one offering hope and finding beauty after brutality。
Anita transforms her personal experience into one of universal resonance， offering a call to action， to keep walking onwards， forging a path through and beyond pain。 Every footstep taken is an act of persistence。 Every word written against the rising tide of hate speech， such as this book， is an act of resistance。
Anita Sethi was on a journey through Northern England in Summer 2019 when she became the victim of a racially motivated hate crime。 The crime was a vicious attack on her right to exist in a place on account of her race。 After the event Anita experienced panic attacks and anxiety。 A crushing sense of claustrophobia made her long for wide open spaces， to breathe deeply in the great outdoors。 She was intent on not letting her experience stop her from traveling freely and without fear。
Between the route from Liverpool to Newcastle lays the Pennines， known as the backbone of Britain。 That backbone runs through the north and also strongly connects north with south， east with west--it's a place of borderlands and limestone， of rivers and scars， of fells and forces。 The Pennines called to Anita with a magnetic force; although a racist had told her to leave， she felt drawn to further explore the area she regards as her home， to immerse herself deeply in place。 Anita's journey through the natural landscapes of the North is one of reclamation， a way of saying that this is her land too and she belongs in the UK as a brown woman， as much as a white man does。
We're living in an era of increased hostility in which more people of color around the world are being told to go back; strong statements of belonging are needed more than ever。 Anita's journey gives her the perspective to reflect upon the important issues encompassed in her experience of abuse including speaking out， gaslighting， trauma， kindness， and notions of strength。 Her journey transforms what began as an ugly experience of hate into one offering hope and finding beauty after brutality。
Anita transforms her personal experience into one of universal resonance， offering a call to action， to keep walking onwards， forging a path through and beyond pain。 Every footstep taken is an act of persistence。 Every word written against the rising tide of hate speech， such as this book， is an act of resistance。
Reviews
Aaliyah
，
I loved this book and couldn't recommend it highly enough。 I learnt so much along the way and became so engrossed in the author's emotional journey as well as actual journey through the Pennines。 As a person of colour from Sheffield it was so inspiring for me to read。 Really beautifully written and loved the exploration of etymology and where words - as well as people - come from。 I loved this book and couldn't recommend it highly enough。 I learnt so much along the way and became so engrossed in the author's emotional journey as well as actual journey through the Pennines。 As a person of colour from Sheffield it was so inspiring for me to read。 Really beautifully written and loved the exploration of etymology and where words - as well as people - come from。 。。。more
Amna Waqar
，
I was disappointed with this book。 As a person of colour; with a similar cultural background and same hometown as the author - I was expecting so much more。 Anita Sethi was racially abused on a train; it is after this horrific verbal and mental abuse that Sethi finds solace and answers to her sense of belonging by walking the Pennines。The author's writing style， or rather lack of it， was a complete let down。 Had I wanted to read details about the skin's epidermis and melanin or read several dict I was disappointed with this book。 As a person of colour; with a similar cultural background and same hometown as the author - I was expecting so much more。 Anita Sethi was racially abused on a train; it is after this horrific verbal and mental abuse that Sethi finds solace and answers to her sense of belonging by walking the Pennines。The author's writing style， or rather lack of it， was a complete let down。 Had I wanted to read details about the skin's epidermis and melanin or read several dictionary definitions of certain words such as 'scar' and 'backbone'， I would have picked up an encyclopedia or dictionary instead。 Was the author trying to achieve a word count target by throwing in such unnecessary detail？ Her train of thought was also off putting- there was a lot of rambling and also a lack of cohesiveness at times。 NetGalley provided me with this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rhian Pritchard
，
This is a very needed story， and I loved the nature writing in parts， but I just did not get on with the author's style of writing。 This is a very needed story， and I loved the nature writing in parts， but I just did not get on with the author's style of writing。 。。。more
Fern Adams
，
‘I Belong Here’ is an interesting look at race， nature and belonging。 Anita Sethi was racially abused on a train and made to feel like an outsider。 Following this incident she started to reflect on a sense of belonging and in particular belonging to a landscape。 Consequently she decided to walk along the Pennine Way to address this and look at the idea of belonging as she walked。 This book explores how things are linked and intertwined and all can effect each other。 I really enjoyed reading this ‘I Belong Here’ is an interesting look at race， nature and belonging。 Anita Sethi was racially abused on a train and made to feel like an outsider。 Following this incident she started to reflect on a sense of belonging and in particular belonging to a landscape。 Consequently she decided to walk along the Pennine Way to address this and look at the idea of belonging as she walked。 This book explores how things are linked and intertwined and all can effect each other。 I really enjoyed reading this。 Sethi takes a really fascinating and unique approach by using nature to explore the topics of race， racism and belonging。 Her writing style is wonderfully descriptive and she is able to show the reader what a place looked like and also her own feelings really well through the words。 I loved her incorporation of etymology throughout as well， tracing back word origins。 The nature writing was also compelling， I loved reading about the landscape and the people she met along the way。 It felt a very multilayered book and definitely one I will pick up again。 The only element stopping me giving it a 5 star review is it did feel at times there was a lot of repetition that could have benefited from a bit of editing。A really thought provoking book！Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Denyce
，
Following a vicious race hate crime on a train on her way to the North of England， as well as losing a close friend to illness， Anita Sethi decides to walk the Pennine Way， to deal with the aftermath of the attack and her right to exist in the country， after being told to go home。 This scenario is something that not many white British people would have to confront; whilst reading， I could feel the fear that she must have had to deal with。She follows through with the crime， at considerable cost t Following a vicious race hate crime on a train on her way to the North of England， as well as losing a close friend to illness， Anita Sethi decides to walk the Pennine Way， to deal with the aftermath of the attack and her right to exist in the country， after being told to go home。 This scenario is something that not many white British people would have to confront; whilst reading， I could feel the fear that she must have had to deal with。She follows through with the crime， at considerable cost to her mental health。 Walking is her way of anchoring herself to the land， dealing with her sense of belonging and wellbeing。 She is determined not to be undone by the experience， that as a person of colour she will make her mark on the landscape。It is part memoir， part travelogue， dealing with both the physical and the mental aspects of being and walking。 She refers to the physical aspects of the countryside - chapters are titled Mouth， Skin， Backbone， Lifeblood and Feet。 It suggests being comfortable in ones body， and being in tune with nature and the landscape。 She also muses about words related to the countryside， which prove to be both interesting and thought provoking。 Her experiences are mostly positive， and she meets people on her travels that turn the experience of her journey into a positive one。With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Penelope
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3。5 StarsThere was a lot I really liked about this book but I struggled with the fact that it wasn't really natural history/nature writing or even a book about walking which was very much what I was expecting。 That said it was an interesting and thought provoking story about the author's desire and attempt to find belonging and a sense of connection to this land following on from a horrible racial attack on a train。 It is fascinating book filled with thoughts and ponderings， eye opening etymolog 3。5 StarsThere was a lot I really liked about this book but I struggled with the fact that it wasn't really natural history/nature writing or even a book about walking which was very much what I was expecting。 That said it was an interesting and thought provoking story about the author's desire and attempt to find belonging and a sense of connection to this land following on from a horrible racial attack on a train。 It is fascinating book filled with thoughts and ponderings， eye opening etymology， examples of human kindness but also human hate， with a little bit of walking and nature （which was beautiful described and made me get my maps out）。 This is an important book that leaves you filled with frustration at the world but also the desire to try and make it a kinder place for everyone。 I would definitely pick up another book from this author。 。。。more
Ben Taylor
，
Having experienced a racially motivated attack on a train a few miles from where she grew up in Manchester， Anita Sethi seeks to deal with the trauma by walking through the landscapes of the Pennines。Her response to the attack is hugely admirable， both in the moment - she recorded proceedings on her phone and reported them immediately， leading to her attacker being arrested - and later， taking strength from the act of walking and from reconnecting with the natural world。 Sethi's personal mission Having experienced a racially motivated attack on a train a few miles from where she grew up in Manchester， Anita Sethi seeks to deal with the trauma by walking through the landscapes of the Pennines。Her response to the attack is hugely admirable， both in the moment - she recorded proceedings on her phone and reported them immediately， leading to her attacker being arrested - and later， taking strength from the act of walking and from reconnecting with the natural world。 Sethi's personal mission to overcome the trauma shines through throughout the book， in her explorations of identity， resilience and a sense of place / rootedness。 She draws links between what she sees in the landscapes， flora and fauna and the human body or the human experience。 Mostly this works well， though at times the language is clunky and repetitive， or the descriptions of natural features lack depth - like they are the result of two minutes on Wikipedia。- - -I was given an advance review copy of this book， in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Kalish
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An astonishing and incredibly moving read， what a journey。 Particularly loved the walks along the riverbanks and up though the fells and mountains。
Susan
，
This isn’t your usual walking book。 Instead Anita Sethi uses walking to help herself come to turns with her own experience as a British person of colour。 Sethi’s parents came to Manchester as a result of the activities of the British empire， yet she has never been made to feel as if she should belong here， despite being Manc born。 Following an appalling racist attack on a train and then the sudden death of her friend， Sethi decides to walk through the North to try and make sense of what it means This isn’t your usual walking book。 Instead Anita Sethi uses walking to help herself come to turns with her own experience as a British person of colour。 Sethi’s parents came to Manchester as a result of the activities of the British empire， yet she has never been made to feel as if she should belong here， despite being Manc born。 Following an appalling racist attack on a train and then the sudden death of her friend， Sethi decides to walk through the North to try and make sense of what it means to belong， to be a British northerner。 It is obvious that she has a lot to deal with。 What makes the book interesting is the complete difference in perspective that we get， how people’s attention to her skin colour has made so many of her life experiences different and often hostile。 There is a telling example of comments made to her by Prince Charles when she met him at a function， and following the Harry/ Meghan interview this week nothing he said really comes as a surprise。 Sethi attempts to join her theme of belonging， culture and race with that of destruction of the environment which is less successful than the race aspect， nevertheless， this is a fascinating book， telling one woman’s truth and deserves to be read。 。。。more
Fiona
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Anita Sethi was travelling on a train when a fellow passenger who was playing music was asked to turn down the volume by the conductor。 The passenger ignored the request， increasing the volume instead。 As she could feel a migraine coming on， Anita asked him again to turn down the volume。 His response this time was to direct a torrent of racist abuse at her for which， in due course， he was sentenced for having committed a racially motivated hate crime。 Anita was severely traumatised by the events Anita Sethi was travelling on a train when a fellow passenger who was playing music was asked to turn down the volume by the conductor。 The passenger ignored the request， increasing the volume instead。 As she could feel a migraine coming on， Anita asked him again to turn down the volume。 His response this time was to direct a torrent of racist abuse at her for which， in due course， he was sentenced for having committed a racially motivated hate crime。 Anita was severely traumatised by the events of that day。 She was shown a lot of kindness by some of her fellow passengers and by the railway staff but others just turned away。 I cannot imagine what it is like to be abused because of the colour of your skin， to feel self conscious about your skin colour， or to be on the receiving end of racism。 I realise now， I’ve never given it enough thought。 I was bullied at school for a while and have been on the receiving end of the usual rubbish women have to contend with but I’m certain that isn't a meaningful comparison。 Anita Sethi’s honesty in talking about this issue has heightened my awareness of how stressful and frightening it is to be attacked， verbally and physically， because of your skin colour; for people constantly asking you where you’re from when the answer is here。 Her revelations have given me a lot to think about。 I believe I can say， hand on heart， that I have never discriminated against someone because of their race， religion or skin colour， but is that enough？ Would I stand up to the ned on the train？As part of her recovery programme， Anita decides to walk in the Pennines， mainly on her own。 Starting in Gargrave， she walks to Malham and on to Settle and beyond。 As she passes through small villages， she wonders what the locals think of this brown woman walking past their homes。 She tells us that BAME people are not seen in rural locations as much as they should be， that they don’t have the same level or comfort of access that white people do。 That is why she is particularly self conscious of her skin colour there。 On a later trip， she walks along Hadrian’s Wall。 Whilst walking， she muses on the power of nature， the dangers the environment is facing across the globe， about the sense of belonging to a place， about the roots of words， their original meanings， their meanings now and their personal meanings to her。 While the earlier part of the book is really powerful， and throughout there are interesting facts to be learned， I found that it became quite repetitive and also quite disjointed。 Anita’s rambling* through the countryside was accompanied by rambling thoughts and， for me， too many overworked analogies。 I particularly enjoyed the etymological passages but I grew weary even of them as the book went on。 On balance， however， I’m glad I read it due to the many very important issues Sethi raises and I have a lot of respect for what is a very poignant and timely book。 3。5 stars。*To ramble: 1。 To walk for pleasure in the countryside。 2。 To talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way。 （OED）With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for a review copy。 。。。more
Katy Wilson
，
I was really looking forward to reading this book。 It is the tale of a journey - through the physical landscape of the Pennines and the North of England， and also through the experiences of the author who was attacked verbally on a train by a man who wanted her to feel hated， unwanted and unwelcome。Anita Sethi is a British writer born in Manchester。 Her roots are deeply embedded in the North of England but because of her family tree stretching its branches to Kenya and to the Caribean and becaus I was really looking forward to reading this book。 It is the tale of a journey - through the physical landscape of the Pennines and the North of England， and also through the experiences of the author who was attacked verbally on a train by a man who wanted her to feel hated， unwanted and unwelcome。Anita Sethi is a British writer born in Manchester。 Her roots are deeply embedded in the North of England but because of her family tree stretching its branches to Kenya and to the Caribean and because she is a 'woman of colour'， she has had to fight for her sense of belonging。 There are forces in this world that try to exclude and diminish others and she is determined to stand up to them。 The cultural wounds of racism and sexism damage us all but the day to day battle is felt most strongly by those whose voices are marginalised and often suppressed。 This book is about walking， and taking space， and being heard and standing firm in the face of opposition。 The healing power of Nature is the birthright of all living beings but there is a reality that for people of colour， the rural spaces are sometimes made uncomfortable by the white people that live there。 Will that old man sitting on a bench at the foot of a mountain just hello or will he question my right to be here？ As a white woman I do not have to consider this when I travel the country。 As a woman I understand very well the need to be on alert。 This book is a personal journey， and also an educational one。 I found many interesting stories and facts that I didn't know。 I didn't know that birds have magnetite in their beaks， nor that the North of England was once awash with tropical seas。 I liked Ms Sethis's description of her journey as 'one of reclaiming both language and landscape'So much history and information， and the descriptions of places make me want to grab a map and plan a visit， It offers inspiration to take a walking trip， to walk oneself well。 My one misgiving about this book was that sometimes I found the sentence structures clunky and it didn't flow well for me。 I think it could have benefited from a stronger edit。 The bumpiness I noticed， troubled my journey somewhat but didn't stop me moving along through an otherwise fascinating， moving and inspiring book。Let me finish on one of the many thought-provoking questions that the book invites us to answer:"Where were the first steps you took and what place did you most spend your early life walking through？"The major thing I enjoyed in this book was the author's raw honesty and courage in sharing her process of healing with the reader。 She did what is always necessary but which is also always terrifying after an attack， she stood tall and spoke her truth and held her space。 Walking through a wild landscape is deeply nourishing but each step is a brave one and sometimes we wobble， and sometimes we soar。 Let me end on one of my favourite quotes : "Lichen is a survivor， growing even when the odds seem to be against any kind of flourishing， 'Be more like lichen'， I think" 。。。more
Katrina
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A generous four stars， I would have liked more of the nature writing。https://piningforthewest。co。uk/2021/0。。。 A generous four stars， I would have liked more of the nature writing。https://piningforthewest。co。uk/2021/0。。。 。。。more
Brooke
，
First of all， I wanted to say a big thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 •First of all， I want to put some trigger warnings in place as there is mention of hate crimes， particularly race， hate crimes so please be cautious if this may present a trigger to you。 •“Racism is about the skin， with no regard of the human heart beating within”This novel is such a raw account of how trauma from racially aggravated attacks can stay wi First of all， I wanted to say a big thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 •First of all， I want to put some trigger warnings in place as there is mention of hate crimes， particularly race， hate crimes so please be cautious if this may present a trigger to you。 •“Racism is about the skin， with no regard of the human heart beating within”This novel is such a raw account of how trauma from racially aggravated attacks can stay with an person。 They can become suffocated， as though they’re constantly re-drowning underneath the abhorrent assault of words projected。 It’s so so important to read such memoirs， as heartbreaking as it is to read， people of different races and cultural backgrounds don’t have the option of just reading these horrid events。 They have to deal with this on a regular basis。 Absorbing this and not being ignorant or complicit when you see hate crimes being committed is essential！ Systemic change is needed drastically， and as the oppressors， white people need to （at bare minimum） read such harrowing memoirs， it’s easy to turn a blind eye， it’s harder to face what’s actually happening and do something about it。 The hard way is the only option。 Personally I was mesmerised by this memoir， I particularly adored how Anita took such a disgusting event that happened to her， and turned it into a place of empowerment。 It’s very beautifully written， it flows very easily and makes you feel utterly immersed in the landscape of the Pennines， each page leaps out like a vivid trance。 You can see what’s happening like a movie in your mind， the raw emotions this book elicits is so powerful and unique to other memoirs I’ve read。 It made me wish I was there with Anita myself， holding her hand in solidarity and reassurance that she’s such a powerful woman。 Reading about her confidence and empowerment was so heartening， she is an utterly exceptional woman。 I am truly so grateful I got to read her beautiful words。 Her actions of solidarity towards fellow ethnic minorities and words of empowerment were so uplifting and moving。 •Its also an incredibly educational novel， about past racism in Britain and how it needs to be brought to light， rather than being pushed aside， enabling white washing of British history to almost encourage， further racism from generations。 Anita’s highlighting of such racist systemic events， are commendable。 I know that shouldn’t be the case， but I can only imagine how difficult speaking up can feel， particularly in a systematically racist country， often in fear of your life， which is utterly abhorrent。 •This is just an utterly empowering novel and I couldn’t recommend it enough， I can’t be more grateful that I managed to get my hands on an ARC。 I would recommend this book to everyone， but I would also boost this to those of ethnic minorities or marginalised groups， it’s a great book if you feel alone。 It touches on such important aspects including mental health following traumatic events （particularly hate crimes） and how nature can be such a healing and loving space in which to feel like you belong。 Because you do， you do belong here， no matter your skin colour， gender， ethnicity， sexual orientation， you matter。⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Karen
，
I was looking forward to reading this as it was likened to The Salt Path by Raynor Winn which I enjoyed。 I Belong Here is a completely different tales， but albeit in a good way。 It is a brilliant blend of current affairs， memoir and a travelogue。 The author takes you on a physical journey through the Pennies but also on an emotional journey as she recounts the reasons behind her travels。A racist attack on a train against the author and her description of the way in which it was dealt with by bot I was looking forward to reading this as it was likened to The Salt Path by Raynor Winn which I enjoyed。 I Belong Here is a completely different tales， but albeit in a good way。 It is a brilliant blend of current affairs， memoir and a travelogue。 The author takes you on a physical journey through the Pennies but also on an emotional journey as she recounts the reasons behind her travels。A racist attack on a train against the author and her description of the way in which it was dealt with by both the railway staff and the police was well written。Her inspiring journey through the North was also prompted by the death of a friend。 As she travels， she explores the themes of loss， language， grief， friendship， place and race。 What it means to have a home and the healing power of nature and the wild。I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloomsbury for an eARC of this book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Kiran
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Excellent read， incredibly powerful。
Marla
，
What a vital， resonant and important book。I'm a woman of colour in the UK and don't think I've ever related to a book so much - I felt utterly swept up in this journey as the author walks through her home country searching for a sense of belonging。 Like the author， I've often felt like an outsider in this country and at odds and have experienced much racism - I've often felt alienated by books too which haven't reflected my experience。 This book was like a best friend to me in a time I needed it What a vital， resonant and important book。I'm a woman of colour in the UK and don't think I've ever related to a book so much - I felt utterly swept up in this journey as the author walks through her home country searching for a sense of belonging。 Like the author， I've often felt like an outsider in this country and at odds and have experienced much racism - I've often felt alienated by books too which haven't reflected my experience。 This book was like a best friend to me in a time I needed it most， an isolating pandemic。 I was cheering out loud when the author wrote about how we need to reclaim histories and I learnt so much along the way as well。 I Belong Here made me cry on a number of occasions and also laugh too， and it's rare to have that combination so well。This is a beautifully written and inspiring book that should be read carefully， re-read and returned to and I would urge everyone to read it。 。。。more
Tanisha
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This books is about the impact of racism， hate crimes， loss and grief。 It's an in-depth exploration of what it's like to be a minority in the UK and constantly questioned about whether you belong。 The author walks the Pennine way and finds healing in nature。 It's very in depth and contains lots of facts and figures about nature， climate change， mental health and racism。 As a person of colour I was hoping to get lost in the story and feel closer to nature and feel a sense of belonging but the amo This books is about the impact of racism， hate crimes， loss and grief。 It's an in-depth exploration of what it's like to be a minority in the UK and constantly questioned about whether you belong。 The author walks the Pennine way and finds healing in nature。 It's very in depth and contains lots of facts and figures about nature， climate change， mental health and racism。 As a person of colour I was hoping to get lost in the story and feel closer to nature and feel a sense of belonging but the amount of facts and figures and repitition left me feeling disconnected。。Thanks to Bloomsbury for a copy in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Nad
，
I absolutely loved this book， and felt transported even in the middle of lockdown - which is just what I needed after not going anywhere for so long！I read it in one sitting and was totally absorbed by the beautiful writing， and the beauty of the language helps balance out some of the brutality the author explores about hate crime， racism， and inequality。 I also loved how the book explores nature， walking and wildlife from the point of view of a person of colour。 As a person of colour living in I absolutely loved this book， and felt transported even in the middle of lockdown - which is just what I needed after not going anywhere for so long！I read it in one sitting and was totally absorbed by the beautiful writing， and the beauty of the language helps balance out some of the brutality the author explores about hate crime， racism， and inequality。 I also loved how the book explores nature， walking and wildlife from the point of view of a person of colour。 As a person of colour living in the UK myself I've rarely seen this explored in the pages of the book。 Reading I Belong Here was like inhaling a breath of fresh air - thank you for writing this important and beautiful book。With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an advance reading copy。 。。。more
Lisa
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What a beautifully written， powerful and moving book。 I Belong Here is a brilliant blend of nature writing and travelogue， current affairs and memoir and is a triumphant book， journeying through the Pennines but the author also took me on a powerful， evocative emotional journey。 A racist attack on a train and the death of a friend prompt Sethi’s inspiring journey walking through the natural landscapes of the North， along the way exploring themes of loss and language， grief， friendship， place and What a beautifully written， powerful and moving book。 I Belong Here is a brilliant blend of nature writing and travelogue， current affairs and memoir and is a triumphant book， journeying through the Pennines but the author also took me on a powerful， evocative emotional journey。 A racist attack on a train and the death of a friend prompt Sethi’s inspiring journey walking through the natural landscapes of the North， along the way exploring themes of loss and language， grief， friendship， place and race， what it means to have a home， and the healing power of the wild。 The book begins with a moving meditation on belonging and nature， showing how we are all connected， how we all share this home of planet earth。 I love how the author explores the origins of language as well as landscape， exploring the meaning of words like 'backbone'， 'scar' and the phrase 'bearing witness'。 The book brilliantly bears witness to how it feels to be alive in our troubled planet， but far from feeling hopeless I Belong Here left me truly inspired and eager to take a lockdown walk。 Highly recommended。 I look forward to what the author writes next。 。。。more
Sharon
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I started off really enjoying this book， the account of the racial hate crime against Anita was truly horrifying and her description of how the railway staff and the police dealt with it was well written。However， I did not enjoy the parts of the book that talked about meanings of words i。e the meaning of 'to bear' or the parts that described what we as humans witness。 I skipped over these parts as I did not feel they added depth to the story， I tried really hard to get back into the story but I I started off really enjoying this book， the account of the racial hate crime against Anita was truly horrifying and her description of how the railway staff and the police dealt with it was well written。However， I did not enjoy the parts of the book that talked about meanings of words i。e the meaning of 'to bear' or the parts that described what we as humans witness。 I skipped over these parts as I did not feel they added depth to the story， I tried really hard to get back into the story but I had lost the plot and lost the feel of the story， I quickly gave up trying to enjoy this book。 。。。more
Gail Owen
，
What a beautiful meander through the national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty in Northern England。 Beautifully written， thought provoking and inspiring。 I read this in one sitting and really couldn’t put the book down， every other page I encountered passages of text that evoked such emotion that I had read them out loud to my husband and share the experience。Anita Sethi documents her journey from childhood to the horrific racial abuse she receives on a train journey with such clari What a beautiful meander through the national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty in Northern England。 Beautifully written， thought provoking and inspiring。 I read this in one sitting and really couldn’t put the book down， every other page I encountered passages of text that evoked such emotion that I had read them out loud to my husband and share the experience。Anita Sethi documents her journey from childhood to the horrific racial abuse she receives on a train journey with such clarity and emotive language the reader is both moved and shocked。 I belong here is a combination of nature writing， historical teaching and an observation of the misogyny and racism that runs deep still today in 2021 Britain。 However， this isn’t a book that makes you feel hopeless， quite the opposite， Anita Sethi demonstrates clearly the power of language to confront， to call out discrimination。 The book meanders between her personal story， description of walking in the Pennines， she intersperses history lessons and stories of the kindness of strangers。 This format is reminiscence of any long distance journey or walk through nature and takes the reader on a virtual journey of their own， through history， nature and the glorious north。 This seems to be Anita’s first full book， I do hope it won’t be her last。 I received an advance copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review， many thanks。 All opinions are my own 。。。more
Chantal Lyons
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'I Belong Here' is quite a different book to the those it'll probably share shelf-space with in bookshops。 Perhaps it is closest to 'The Salt Path' （which the author references）， in exploring the restorative power of walking through nature after a life-altering experience。 Yet it devotes less word count to the walking journey than I expected， which frustrated me a little， although that is because so much else is woven into the narrative - Anita Sethi's experience during and after the racial atta 'I Belong Here' is quite a different book to the those it'll probably share shelf-space with in bookshops。 Perhaps it is closest to 'The Salt Path' （which the author references）， in exploring the restorative power of walking through nature after a life-altering experience。 Yet it devotes less word count to the walking journey than I expected， which frustrated me a little， although that is because so much else is woven into the narrative - Anita Sethi's experience during and after the racial attack on her; her childhood experiences of racism; reflections on the human body; histories of black and brown people in the UK; histories of walking; geology; and the global environmental crisis。 Some of these aspects worked， particularly those about race， although some held less interest for me; I found my attention wandering during the passages describing parts of the human body and they felt a little self-indulgent/unnecessary。This is not the book for you if you are looking for a simple start-to-end recounting of a walk （like Cheryl Strayed's 'Wild'）。 But it is tender and thoughtful。 It turns out to be something of a love letter to the northern British landscape， and the people living there - I found myself constantly braced for Sethi to encounter racist attitudes and micro-aggressions， but in fact， there was only one instance where someone made her feel less than welcome with a "where are you from？" question。 Everyone else she met on her multi-stage journey was kind， open， and generous。 It makes me want to go hiking in the North right now！One more thing I enjoyed about this book - Sethi was completely honest about her patchy ability to name flora and fauna （something I share）。 Many times， she sees a beautiful plant， or hears a bird's cry， and acknowledges she doesn't know what it is， though the experience still moves her。 It's quite refreshing after having read so much nature-writing that prides itself on littering paragraphs with as many species names as possible， and the book feels all the more accessible for it。 （With thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review） 。。。more
Bob Hughes
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