Katherine May uses 'Wintering' as a metaphor for depression. She describes how depression is something she has regularly experienced and, as she feels the next one coming, she aims to prepare for it in the same way that people in Norway prepare for actual Winter. She also compares how creatures like bees prepare for winter.
Despite talking about interesting traditions in other countries and describing the Northern Lights in fantastic, captivating detail, this was not a great read for me. I suspect that other people will love it, it's just not really for me. The two stars are for the parts that I found interesting and engaging. I am into the idea of preparing for depression and preparing for winter to give ourselves the best chance of survival. However, I was not fully immersed in a 'can't put it down' fashion, and actually felt quite low while reading the book (because of the book), and found myself constantly checking for how long I had left.

Take away message is, if you currently feel like the world is getting darker round the edges, or you are struggling to see the sunshine through the clouds... if you are struggling with life at the moment give this book a read. It might help you create some tools to pull yourself through; but please also visit your GP because this book alone is company rather than remedy. If you are not feeling like that right now don't bother with this book. There are better books to read if you want an account of the Northern Lights or want to learn about Bees.

Thank you to #NetGalley which is where I got a free, pre-release copy of the book #Wintering in exchange for an honest review

I was lucky to receive an ARC from NetGalley for this book, and I really, really loved it. It touched on so many themes I have been interested in recently - the cycle of the seasons, cold countries, grief and anxiety, swimming, mental health, finding meaning and ritual in daily life. There is a lot on accepting trying periods in life as part of a natural cycle - knowing that summer will likely follow, and that there is maybe some beauty and poetry in times of hardship and scarcity. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the format - not quite essays, but not quite a memoir either despite being very personal. I think when the book comes out, I will go and buy a hard copy and carry it around - it is the kind of book where you want to highlight every other sentence and copy paragraphs into a notebook.

This is not a travelogue to the world's remote regions as the title potentially suggests. Instead, 'Wintering' is a poignant, very personal memoir about some of the darker moments of the author's life and circumstances. A good read for fans of the memoir / biography genre, though it's a tad heavy-going and repetitive at times.