Wintering
The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
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Wintering
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Narrated by:
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Rebecca Lee
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Written by:
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Katherine May
About this listen
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 AudioWhat the critics say
“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)
What listeners say about Wintering
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tskuller
- 2022-11-12
Enjoyable.
Very enjoyable. First listened last season and and again now that we have snow. I’ll probably listen to it every winter.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A
- 2023-01-28
A Book We All Need
This book is a beautiful meandering meditation that reminds the reader that you are a human being...not a human doing. Real, raw, beautiful, and greatly appreciated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2025-01-18
Exactly what I needed!
I enjoyed this book so much and it will definitely be among the titles I will 100% be re-listening to. It was a relevant book for the time of year and the times we are living in.
Beautifully written with just the right mix of entertainment and information. I found myself on multiple occasions bringing up this book in conversations with family and friends.
The narration was wonderful, I felt like I was wrapped in a warm blanket every time I played this book!
Nothing but good things to say about this one!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kat
- 2021-10-11
beautiful!!!
a book about depression that doesn’t feel like its about depression. whether you struggle with mental illness or not, we all have winter seasons. this is a beautiful book to listen to during a winter season, helpful, warm, and familiar.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Courtney H
- 2022-08-25
Beautiful Book
Beautiful performance. I loved listening… like a long song! And a self help book disguised in a story. Real and raw but also pleasurable to just enjoy!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- TC
- 2021-02-13
I was hoping for something more
I loved the flow and lilt of the words and the narrator’s treatment of them, but I think I was expecting something more...clear in its guidance. There were interesting pieces all the way through and I really loved learning about different cultures’ approaches to literal winter as well as May’s approaches to winters of the soul. But it didn’t always hang together or build on itself, at least until the epilogue. I’d read it again and may buy it in paper to be able to refer back to bits, but I had hoped it would be more somehow.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-01-27
Beautiful ode
For those who struggle with the season, either internally or outwardly, to those who rejoice in the snow and have experienced a few winter times of their own- this book is for you. I just completed my first listen, definitely not my last!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Jenn Tom
- 2022-02-01
So very good!
Such a magically written remedy for the winter season and mental health. Savor the stories.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sarah Strehler
- 2021-02-13
Good for the Soul
I love the winter and enjoyed the literal and figurative references to wintering. The narrator was lovely. I only took away a star because I had a few moments in the story where I was a bit lost on where it was going... but overall would re-listen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- catharine stecca
- 2023-01-01
Winter Solstice
This book covers the writer’s experiences from fall to first robin.
Writing is interesting, narrator has very pleasant voice.
I enjoyed the whole book.
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