The Salt Path: The prize-winning, Sunday Times bestseller, now a major film featuring Gillian Anderson (Raynor Winn, 1)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written by protagonist Ray, and compelling. Although terribly sad, the strength of the couple's relationship and what they put themselves through on the Coastal Path journey to the unknown was incredible, and admirable. The small acts of kindness they encounter on the way, how they budget and ask for hot water, the details of their daily life made it feel like I was living it with them.

I was recommended this book and I know why now: this book has the ability to change your whole outlook on your life, to change your mindset.It’s also a pleasure to read: easy but not lacking in beautiful language and imagery. Can’t wait to get hold of Raynor’s other books. (Also wanted to read it before I saw the film version)

Memoirs concerned with the healing powers of nature are right up my street and so I am what you might call very much part of the target audience.It is a heart-warming tale of (a certain amount of) recovery for a couple facing enormous financial and health worries, and I'm glad I read it. If you are interested in getting an overview of the story then there are plenty of reviews here that'll do that, but I just wanted to raise a couple of issues I had with the book, because in the end I was left wondering whether the author had just tried too hard trying to invest the story with drama.A couple of examples will illustrate what I mean.Firstly, when they embark on their long distance walk the author makes quite an issue about just how physically demanding she found it. Now the husband is desperately ill and so fatigue on his behalf is understandable, but she is the daughter of a farmer and a farmer herself who lived in a remote part of Wales. You'd have thought that such a life would have given her a degree of strength and fitness but she comes across, initially at least, as completely the opposite. I rather suspected she probably took this more in her stride (excuse the pun) than she suggests.My second issue concerns the fact that they embarked on this walk so very soon after the husband (Moth) had been diagnosed with a life threatening illness and told not to over-exert himself. Now he shows great fortitude in dealing with his issues but I really didn't feel to much sympathy or empathy for them when the physical demands were high. Would you let a very sick loved one embark on an extended activity that was very likely to make matters worse, at least without not seeking a second opinion? I was just left rather wondering about their choices; they weren't ones I really understood.Despite all this I had a lot of time for their strength and collective will; it was just that sometimes I just didn't fully understand why they had put themselves through so much self inflicted trouble (they didn't have the benefit of foresight to know just how beneficial their enterprise would be).Of course, the book has a happy ending, but I felt more through luck than judgement.So, for me, it's a 3 1/2 star book, rounded to 4 because of the feel-good factor.

When everything seems against you in life, this book is a great reminder of human resilience and what really matters. An incredible story, inspirational & admirable. Made me laugh, cry & smile. Never take the taste of a great sandwich for the granted.

This is a wonderful book.Moving and uplifting and inspiring

Wow, amazing, loved this. When I saw it was non fiction I was wary, it's not normally my genre but this book is very much told as a story, the real story of a couple facing the lowest moment of their lives and trying to find purpose to continue. I would like to hope I'd be as brave as Ray and Moth in their situation but in reality I'm not sure I'd have that level of grit and determination. Hugely inspiring and heartbreaking all at the same time. I hope this book changes perspectives on homelessness and I hope many more people get to read it.

Excellent book. Written from the heart.

This is an interesting book and probably a good one for a book club discussion, because it will divide opinion. The author sets off to walk the South West Coast Path, having been rocked by the double whammy of losing their farmhouse home to bailiffs following a disastrous investment and her husband's diagnosis with a terminal illness. They are travelling on a shoestring and improvising somewhat, meaning that the experience becomes a real physical and mental challenge.On the plus side, Winn writes well and the story of her husband's illness is touching and thought provoking (spoiler alert - the walk helps him recover somewhat, though I thing he may sadly now have passed away). The descriptions of the landscape and the travails of wild camping are great.On the minus side, some of the things the couple do don't invite sympathy, either through disorganisation (they forget medication and sunscreen and sleep in late frequently) and because they are driven to petty acts like making off without paying campsite owners without expressing much remorse. There's a key section in Plymouth where they encounter a less picturesque version of homelessness than the one they are experiencing which makes them reflect a bit, but it feels like a missed opportunity to explore more about what destitution drives you to. Winn also comes across as an unreliable narrator at times, with a running gag about her husband being mistaken for Simon Armitage (who was walking the trail at the same time) and fed/watered as a result lacking credibility. There is zero physical resemblance.Ironically, the flaws make it worth reading, because they make you think a bit. Possibly it was deliberate?Other options for a Coast Path Companion include- 500 Mile Walkies by Mark Wallington - the original 1980s version, which is warm and very funny (Winn references it a lot early on).- Walking Away by Simon Armitage - As well written as you might expect, though Armitage only covers half the path.- Any Porth in a Storm by Oscar Burton - An account of the whole path, undertaken to raise money for St Mungos - there's some common ground with The Salt Path in that the author has been made redundant and reflects on homelessness.