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The Salt Path

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What to expect

One of the most talked about books of the decade, an inspiring true story of hope and the healing powers of the natural world.

OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

INCLUDED IN THE SUNDAY TIMES 2024 LIST OF THE TOP 100 BOOKS OF THE PAST FIFTY YEARS

WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE CHRISTOPHER BLAND PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD


Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.

Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.

The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

Read by author Raynor Winn, this deeply felt, personal tale is a beacon of universal strength.


'A beautiful, thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, human strength and endurance' Guardian

'The landscape is magical: shape-shifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. It's a tale of triumph: of hope over despair; of love over everything' Sunday Times

'An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country and ultimately finding themselves' Independent

'Luminescent. A literary phenomenon' Mail on Sunday
Sunday Times bestseller, September 2023
Raynor Winn's books have sold over two million copies across all formats and languages, March 2025

© Raynor Winn 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2019

Critics Review

A beautiful, thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, human strength and endurance
Guardian
An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves.
Independent
A gem of a book
Guardian, Best Books of Summer
This is what you need to read right now to muster hope and resilience. A beautiful story and a reminder that humans can endure adversity
Stylist
Ray's account of their incredible journey is a tale of triumph, of hope over despair
Pick of the paperbacks, The Sunday Times
The landscape is magical, shape-shifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriad sea birds and mauve skies . . . It's a tale of triumph: of hope over despair; of love over everything . . . home was no longer about bricks and mortar. It was a state of mind
The Sunday Times
An inspirational nature memoir for fans of H is for Hawk about losing everything and finding yourself between the elements of sea and sky
Waterstones
The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told.
The most inspirational book of this year . . . In some ways The Salt Path reads like the ultimate drop-out odyssey, except that this journey isn't a life choice . . . What the book chiefly conveys is the human capacity for endurance and the regenerative power of nature . . . The Salt Path also serves as a reminder that Britain is a land criss-crossed by footpaths and that we take this 140,000-mile national glory for granted at our peril . . . The Salt Path has reminded me to scrape last year's mud from my walking boots and get rambling again. I hope it has the same impact on millions of others.
The Times
Moving and beautifully evocative
i

User Reviews

Book 4.5
Narration 4.1
Author Raynor Winn
Narrator Raynor Winn
Duration 9 hours and 2 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781405944786
Format Audiobook
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Genre Coping with illness and specific health conditions, Housing and homelessness, Memoirs, Nature and the natural world: general interest, Walking, hiking, trekking
Collections As Seen On Screen
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
4.5 (8 reviews)
Narration
4.1 (8 reviews)

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