The Salt Path

A Memoir

By: Raynor Winn

Narrated by: Raynor Winn

Length: 9 hrs

Publisher's summary

"Polished, poignant...an inspiring story of true love." (Entertainment Weekly)

A Best Book of 2019, NPR's Book Concierge

Short-listed for the Costa Book Award

Over 400,000 Copies Sold Worldwide

The true story of a couple who lost everything and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path in England

Just days after Raynor Winn learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their house and farm are taken away, along with their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, through Devon and Cornwall.

Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea, and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter, and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable and life-affirming journey. Powerfully written and unflinchingly honest, The Salt Path is ultimately a portrayal of home - how it can be lost, rebuilt, and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

©2019 Raynor Winn (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“The Salt Path is an unputdownable tale and a temple to equanimity.... It will change you.” (Wall Street Journal)

"Winn's chronicle is filled with beauty, humor, and surprises. Glorious landscape a given, the loveliest scenery is the pair themselves, their affection and easy camaraderie treasures to behold. Facing grief, harsh elements, starvation, and judgment about being homeless, they relish growing feelings of achievement and purpose. When, miraculously, Moth starts to feel better, their future grows more unclear. The Salt Path is a great travelogue of surroundings, passersby, and local merchants, but its heart is in Winn and Moth finding meaning in the chaos." (Shelf Awareness) 

"Readers are immersed in a grueling and transformative adventure. Like the Winns, one feels 'salted' by the experience, however vicariously, drawn to the edge in defiance of fate and in search of a new life. They found it as well as a measure of acceptance, and their story is indelibly told." (Kirkus) 

Not happy…..

I didn’t enjoy this book at all because the narrator was very hard to understand and follow the story. I finally just gave up and didn’t finish.

I wish I have read it rather than listened to it

There are times the Author of a book should not be the narrator. This is definitely one of those times. Unfortunately Ms. Winn's speech impediment and monotone speech pattern stood in the way of this book's value. I wish I had read the book rather than listened to it as it got so many good accolades. For me, it was hard to get past the impediment. I did like so much about Salt Path but I think there was more to appreciate that lost on me. I do respect the author and wish her and her husband well and a happy new life.

Making the best of hard times .

Sweet story through hardship . Loved her voice and visuals on the salt path. Inspiring memoir.

Excellent balance between introspection and discovery

I’ll be walking bits of the Southwest Coastal path in Cornwall soon, so that’s what stirred my interest, but now I want to hear more from this talented writer about her and Moth’s further adventures. Read this in part on Kindle and listened in part on Audible which is a good way to do it to learn the pronunciation of the unfamiliar words. So much of her I can relate to — she seems like family!

excellent book

I stumbled upon this book. I'm so glad I did. I love Cornwall and the story being told is depressing and yet uplifting. these are two incredible people that make you realize a lot of us are just a few steps away from being homeless

Wonderful, inspiring story

These people had inversety on steroids but they learned so much on their path. I was so heartened by Raynor’s honest description of the ‘trip’. The inner strength they acquired was amazing.

Difficult narration of a good story.

I struggled to finish this book. Why would anyone hire a narrator, even if it were the author herself, who had a speech impediment? It was difficult enough to listen to the British accent, but to add on top of that foreign names, and unclear speech delivered in a somewhat monotone voice,, made it very difficult. I wish I had read the book instead of listening to it. The story, though somewhat morose, was interesting. It is certainly a story of human persistence and redemption. I will never again by an audible book, without sampling, the narrator first!

Absolutely Beautiful!

I listened to this as my dearest friend in the UK read it! We both loved it! The journey of a lifetime, a 630 mile walk with all the ups and downs, difficulties and miracles along the way. It's a story about life and figureing out what to do when it gets tough...just keep walking. I loved the bits about the history and descriptions of nature the best. Highly recommend! Good reading, easy listening to Ray's voice. Going right now to get her second book!

Moving love story

Enjoyed the story very much. Fav part was the descripción of salty blackberries, dolphins and silver night time sea. Its,a story about the sanity in the insanity, the agency of walking and healing power of nature and above all love.

UK version of "Wild"

I wasn't overwhelmed with "Wild" where a woman goes and transforms herself by hiking the PCT, but if that's what it takes , kudos to her. I live on the US West Coast, so hiking is just something people do for a day, a week, a month, a year. This UK story of a down on their luck middle aged couple was interesting in comparison due to the lack of "safety net" social services the author didn't seem to have in the UK as the US has, such as food banks, temporary government aid, church shelters and kitchens, and temporary housing. I applaud the author and her spouse's fortitude of "well, why not?", the tales of the beauty of their countryside trek and their interactions with a variety of characters, both positive and negative. Dealing with a terminal illness, be it organic or emotional, (such as addiction, in "Wild") gave both stories a bit of a twist. Both stories ended on a positive note, with the protagonists surviving all odds and going on to be millionaires. The rest of us should be so lucky!