Wintering

Calling low points in life "wintering" definitely attracted me to this book. I like the cyclical aspect of the metaphor, its opposition with the notion of an eternal summer that we should aspire to even though it's impossible, but after reading this book, I have mixed feelings about it.

On one hand, I highlighted several passages, on the other hand most of the time the author's sensitivity or comparisons did nothing for me. I felt like the book remained a collection of loosely connected autobiographical passages, comparisons with animals like dormice, robins or wolves, and a few interviews of people who went through their own winters. But it never became more than the sum of its parts.

Brilliant

This is a powerful book about seeing yourself and your life not as linear but as cyclical. It’s not about depression, but if you are feeling dissatisfied with your life, or if you’re going through a tough time it’s a book that I would very much recommend.

It's a lovely book to read for the season. Wintering is not just about how we survive winter - it's about how we survive when our life "winters" and we need to rest. Society doesn't really easily support those who need to recuperate, but Mays argues this isn't something that may happen - it's part of the natural cycle of life. Just as animals winter, so do humans. As part of her exploration, she catalogs some winter celebrations, including celebrating Yule at Stonehenge with the pagans, Saint Lucia's celebration, seeing the Aurora Borealis in person, and, of course, she discusses the practice of hygge.