The Electricity of Every Living Thing - by Katherine May (Paperback)

About the Book

"First published in the UK in 2019 by Laurence King/Orion Publishing Group"--Title page verso.

Book Synopsis

The New York Times bestselling author of Wintering writes a life-affirming exploration of wild landscapes, what it means to be different and, above all, how we can all learn to make peace with our own unquiet minds . . .

In anticipation of her 38th birthday, Katherine May set out to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. She wanted time alone, in nature, to understand why she had stopped coping with everyday life; why motherhood had been so overwhelming and isolating; and why the world felt full of expectations she couldn't meet. She was also reeling from a chance encounter with a voice on the radio that sparked her realisation that she might be autistic.

And so begins a trek along the ruggedly beautiful but difficult path by the sea that takes readers through the alternatingly frustrating, funny, and enlightening experience of re-awakening to the world around us...

The Electricity of Every Living Thing sees Katherine come to terms with that diagnosis leading her to re-evaluate her life so far -- with a much kinder, more forgiving eye. We bear witness to a new understanding that finally allows her to be different rather than simply awkward, arrogant or unfeeling. The physical and psychological journeys of this joyous and inspiring book become inextricably entwined, and as Katherine finds her way across the untameable coast, we learn alongside her how to find our way back to our own true selves.

Review Quotes

"Easy to devour, an incredibly raw and heartfelt story of one woman's wondrous journey of self-discovery." --Porchlight

"May writes about her journey in vivid, exuberant prose..." --The Star Tribune

"A graceful memoir of startling self-discovery."--Kirkus Reviews

"In this powerfully descriptive work, a grueling hike becomes a metaphor for a woman's experience with Asperger's syndrome...Candid, rough, and uplifting, this moving account shines." --Publishers Weekly

"Her journey to understand her own atypical mind takes her across 630 miles on England's South West Coast Path, through pesky rain, cheerful lemon shandies, and interior landscapes that, thank goodness, don't conform to anyone else's boundaries." --Orion Magazine

"As in her bestseller Wintering, May's attention to detail and poetic voice clear a path for readers to pause and reflect. In sharing her experience, she invites readers to examine their own." --BookPage

About the Author

Katherine May is the New York Times bestselling author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times and Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age. A writer of both fiction and nonfiction, May's articles and essays have appeared in a range of publications including The New York Times, The Times (London), Good Housekeeping, and Cosmopolitan. She lives by the sea in Whitstable, England and is an avid lover of the outdoors.