For the LOTL Winter Edition of book club we'll be taking inspiration from nature and its ability to soothe our souls.

In a year when many of us are spending more time than usual in the great outdoors, we'll be exploring the positive impact it can have on our wellbeing, and the writers that have so cleverly captured the power that it can hold over us.

As usual, there will be the option of three different books to choose from. Pick one (or more!) and join us for a leisurely chat to share your thoughts.

All women are welcome to join in the conversation, so be sure to share this page with any friends that might like to get involved. Whilst the book club is run by the Ladies of the Lock WI, this is an open invitation to anyone living locally who identifies as female.

Without further ado, here's our selection:

The Salt Path, by Raynor WinnAn engrossing story about losing everything and finding yourself between the elements of sea and sky. For Raynor Winn and her husband Moth, the cruellest of diagnoses and the simultaneous collapse of their business opens an unexpected door to salvation through a journey along the South West coast path, which over its length transforms into a sweeping narrative of inner courage and nature’s ability to heal.

H is for Hawk, by Helen Macdonald

An impressive and inspiring comingling of genres that reinvigorated the nature writing field, the Costa Prize-winning H is for Hawk recounts a year in the author’s life as she comes to terms with the loss of her father and trains a young goshawk.

At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond

Few bathing ponds are frequented by as many renowned writers as the Kenwood Ladies, by Hampstead Heath. This unashamedly indulgent collection of essays paints an idyllic picture of a little spot of pastoral paradise in the heart of the big city - with contributions from Margaret Drabble, Esther Freud, Nell Frizzell, Lou Stoppard, and more.

And if you feel inspired to read further, we also recommend The Outrun, The Shepherd's Life, The Natural Health Service, Wintering, and I Found my Tribe.

This meeting will be held on Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://ucl.zoom.us/j/91237790487

Meeting ID: 912 3779 0487

LOTL Book Club, the Winter Edition: The healing power of nature