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Windswept : walking the paths of trailblazing women / Annabel Abbs.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Portland, Oregon : Tin House, 2021Description: xxv, 363 pages ; 23 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781951142704
  • 1951142705
Subject(s):
Contents:
Walking women -- Introduction: where are the women? -- In the beginning -- In search of freedom: Frieda von Richthofen -- In search of self and solitude: Gwen John -- The weight of complexity: Clara Vyvyan and Daphne du Maurier -- In search of being and meaning: Nan Shepherd -- In search of the body: Simone de Beauvoir -- In search of space: Georgia O'Keefe -- Home -- Epilogue: our wild walking selves.
Summary: "Annabel Abbs's Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women is a beautifully written meditation and memoir that reflects on that most fundamental way of connecting with the outdoors: the simple act of walking. In absorbing and transporting prose, Abbs follows in the footsteps of groundbreaking women, including Georgia O'Keeffe in the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, Nan Shepherd in the mountains of Scotland, Gwen John following the French River Garonne, Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhône, and Simone de Beauvoir--who walked as much as twenty-five miles a day in a skirt and espadrilles--in the mountains and forests of France. These trailblazing women were reclaiming what had historically been considered male domains. The stories of these incredible women and artists are laced together by the wilderness walking in Abbs's own life, beginning with her poet father who raised her in the Welsh countryside as an "experiment," according to the principles of Rousseau. Windswept is an inventive retrospective and an arresting look forward to the way walking brings about a kind of clarity of thought not found in any other activity, and how it has allowed women throughout history to reimagine their lives and break free from convention. As Abbs traces the paths of these exceptional women, she realizes that she, too, is walking away from, and towards, a very different future. Windswept crosses continents and centuries in an arresting and stirring reflection on the power of walking in nature"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 796.51 A134 Available 33111010564470
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Annabel Abbs-Streets's Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women is a beautifully written meditation on connecting with the outdoors through the simple act of walking. In captivating and elegant prose, Abbs-Streets's follows in the footsteps of women who boldly reclaimed wild landscapes for themselves, including Georgia O'Keeffe in the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, Nan Shepherd in the mountains of Scotland, Gwen John following the French River Garonne, Daphne du Maurier along the River Rhône, and Simone de Beauvoir?who walked as much as twenty-five miles a day in a dress and espadrilles?through the mountains and forests of France.

Part historical inquiry and part memoir, the stories of these writers and artists are laced together by moments in her own life, beginning with her poet father who raised her in the Welsh countryside as an "experiment," according to the principles of Rousseau. Abbs-Streets's explores a forgotten legacy of moving on foot and discovers how it has helped women throughout history to find their voices, to reimagine their lives, and to break free from convention.

As Abbs-Streets traces the paths of exceptional women, she realizes that she, too, is walking away from her past and into a radically different future. Windswept crosses continents and centuries in a provocative and poignant account of the power of walking in nature.

Includes bibliographical references.

"Annabel Abbs's Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women is a beautifully written meditation and memoir that reflects on that most fundamental way of connecting with the outdoors: the simple act of walking. In absorbing and transporting prose, Abbs follows in the footsteps of groundbreaking women, including Georgia O'Keeffe in the empty plains of Texas and New Mexico, Nan Shepherd in the mountains of Scotland, Gwen John following the French River Garonne, Daphne du Maurier following the River Rhône, and Simone de Beauvoir--who walked as much as twenty-five miles a day in a skirt and espadrilles--in the mountains and forests of France. These trailblazing women were reclaiming what had historically been considered male domains. The stories of these incredible women and artists are laced together by the wilderness walking in Abbs's own life, beginning with her poet father who raised her in the Welsh countryside as an "experiment," according to the principles of Rousseau. Windswept is an inventive retrospective and an arresting look forward to the way walking brings about a kind of clarity of thought not found in any other activity, and how it has allowed women throughout history to reimagine their lives and break free from convention. As Abbs traces the paths of these exceptional women, she realizes that she, too, is walking away from, and towards, a very different future. Windswept crosses continents and centuries in an arresting and stirring reflection on the power of walking in nature"-- Provided by publisher.

Walking women -- Introduction: where are the women? -- In the beginning -- In search of freedom: Frieda von Richthofen -- In search of self and solitude: Gwen John -- The weight of complexity: Clara Vyvyan and Daphne du Maurier -- In search of being and meaning: Nan Shepherd -- In search of the body: Simone de Beauvoir -- In search of space: Georgia O'Keefe -- Home -- Epilogue: our wild walking selves.

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