24 in ’24 Challenge – Book 14 “The Salt Path” by Raynor Winn

The Salt Path is about the author, Raynor Winn, and her husband Moth’s journey along the South West Coast Path. Their walk begins when they discover that Moth is terminally ill and then their home and business are taken away from them because of a failed business investment. They find themselves penniless and homeless with Moth’s health deteriorating rapidly. They are not a priority to be rehoused and don’t want to live in a homeless hostel and they have worn out the welcome of their friends so they decide to walk the 630 miles along the South West Coast Path and camp along the way. They buy tents, sleeping bags and set off with the bare minimum they need to live with, as they have to carry everything. They live day to day, struggling with illness, the weather, having no money, no plan and to all intents and purposes no future.

The book examines their day to day struggles and also looks at society’s relationship with those who are homeless and what it means to have virtually nothing. The author also chronicles the improvement in Moth’s health with regular exercise, their engagement with the natural world, the kindnesses and cruelties they experience, and how the journey helps them to centre themselves and restart their lives.

This is one of those books where you don’t always approve of the actions of the writer – or it may just be me. They seem unnecessarily disorganised and regularly forget things or don’t understand what is happening with their money. Wild camping is illegal and the couple find themselves trespassing on the land of others, camping on sites and fleeing without paying fees, and having to use the area by the path for their natural bodily functions which is not very pleasant for anyone. I am also not always convinced of their extreme poverty as at the end of the book they have enough money for the deposit and rent on a flat and it turns out that they had a significant amount of personal belongings in storage. This walk wasn’t their only option and to some extent it was self-indulgent as they could have used this time to find a way forward for their lives – of course, the book has been wildly popular and has undoubtedly helped their finances.

Even given my suspicions about the author’s truthfulness and my lack of sympathy about some of their actions I did find this book engaging and interesting. I think that the author writes well and engages the reader in the walk, and the trials and tribulations experienced along the route. I was recommended this book by several of my friends and I am glad that I read it.