Wintering

The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

By: Katherine May

Narrated by: Rebecca Lee

Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times Best Seller!

As heard on NPR Morning Edition and On Being with Krista Tippett

“Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name.” (Krista Tippett, On Being)

“Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself.... This is truly a beautiful book.” (Elizabeth Gilbert)

"Proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark.... May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and accurate - capturing the sense, the beauty and the latent power of our resting landscapes." (Wall Street Journal)

"May writes beautifully.... A contemplative, hopeful, consoling book.” (NPR)

An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down.

Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a breakup, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered. 

A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas. 

Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.

©2020 Katherine May (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“There is power and clarity and wisdom to be gained from accepting these difficult times. Wintering offered me empathy, acceptance and perspective that will stay with me long after the pandemic.” (New York Times)

“A beautifully written mix of memoir and philosophy...With a pandemic keeping us isolated in so many ways, May offers much-needed solace and comfort and a reminder that seasons eventually turn.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Beautiful...She is a poetic observer of the natural world, and quotable lines abound...I want to share Wintering with all my friends who experience winter blues, and keep a copy close at hand for the inevitable winterings of my own life.” (BookPage)

Everything I needed

Came across this book by recommendation and could not put it down. I'm ready to listen to it all over again and going to purchase it as a gift for a few folks.

Warming

Such an insightful and surprisingly comforting book. Good from start to finish. One I’m sure I will read again, by a fire, on a beach.

Fantastic

I don’t know if I would call this cynical optimism or joyful pessimism but I thoroughly enjoyed it. An eye opening take on depression, enduring struggle, and and insight the comes from being in the muck.

I absolutely loved it

I absolutely loved this because it's so relatable. Over a period of 65 year's you get the wonderful opportunity to embrace all of those thoughts and feelings.

My new favorite

She is giving a loving voice to what so many of us feel lonely in.

Beautiful

This is exactly the book I needed.
Thoughtful, powerful, beautiful.
I am so grateful for it.

A season of grief

I started listening to this book while my Mom was in the hospital struggling with severe lung disease from Covid-19. She passed away while I was just beginning and I picked back up in the midst of grief. I needed the connection of this human experience to the natural world. I needed to understand what it means to be fully and authentically human. I needed to give myself the time and space to winter. This book and the author’s experience gave me permission to do what I needed and
break from unhealthy cultural expectations. Nature gives the model for healing time, which is not linear but cyclical. Thank you, Katherine May, for your bravery forging the path that I would travel and being a wonderful guide for my journey.

Beautiful!

A lovely reading of a very beautiful book. Perfect for getting ready to endure the chill.

Extremely Apropos!

Beautifully written and read by the author. Wonderful connection of dots that are often overlooked by many cultures and societies. This book is a gem that I will be giving as a gift in audible and written form. Kudos to the author for such an enlightening subject matter.

A soothing and realistic approach to wintering

I listened to this book while experiencing my own version of Wintering and struggling between needing to finally relax after decades of stress, and feeling useless at the same time.

I really appreciate her approach and perspective as someone who doesn't feel entirely like a member of society who belongs, but who wants to feel like they've contributed. This book calmed my mind around the idea of zero productivity being exactly what I needed for some period of time, and that I should give others around me the same grace when they are wintering.

For me, this book was very personal and I would recommend it to anyone who also struggles with feeling compelled to be productive while also needing to just stop.