CULTURE EDITION Book Club Three transformative tales about journeys, plus our pick of literature set in Cambridge Words CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
THE PLACE OF TIDES
JAMES REBANKS
This winter, most readers will, at some point, be snuggled under a duvet. If you have the fanciest of furnishings, that coverlet might be stuffed with eiderdown, one of the softest and scarcest substances on the planet. Real eiderdown is harvested from the nests of wild eider ducks which live, ironically, in some of the toughest places on Earth – wind-swept, isolated islands off the coast of Norway. This book tells the story of a single season on one of these rocks. Author James was invited to spend the summer with 70-year-old Anna, one of the last remaining traditional eiderdown harvesters or ‘duck women’. Anna has devoted her life to preserving this ancient practice: living solo among the ducks, protecting them from predators and harvesting their valuable feathers at the end of each summer. By day, James helps Anna repair nest sites – frantically dodging the weather – to be ready for the ducks’ imminent return. By night, they share life stories and James dwells on the choices that have taken him this far from his wife, children and family farm back in Wales. This strange and unforgettable book is a surprisingly fascinating read about the practice of eiderdown farming but – like all the best nature writing – it’s also much more. As the season rolls on, James finds himself tackling huge themes like the importance of preserving traditions; facing up to the unflinching realities of ageing; and the magic that can happen when you’re forced to slow your frenetic pace to a more meaningful, weather-dependent existence. ‘Be more duck woman’ is a mantra we should all follow.
WINTER WARMTH During the coldest season, James Rebanks’ The Place of Tides will be a soul-warming story for all readers
VAGABOND: A HIKER’S HOMAGE TO RURAL SPAIN MARK EVELEIGH
his impact as light as he can and literally taking the road less travelled. Along the way, he reflects on the writers and travellers who have journeyed before him, exploring Spanish idioms as well as the myths and histories of unvisited and tourist-drenched locations alike. Though he repeatedly encounters challenges, it is some serendipitous discoveries that make this book so compelling – a reminder that the kindness of strangers is alive and well. Will 2025 be the year you finally hit the road too?
Any enjoyer of a long walk will know the Camino de Santiago – and might even have daydreamed about throwing a book in a bag and heading for the Spanish plains. If you relate, then this book is the perfect way to spend a wintry weekend. Author Mark documents his journey: a 1,225km hike on foot across the sun-drenched Iberian Peninsula from Gibraltar in southern Spain to the wild Atlantic on the country’s northern coast. He stays outdoors in a hammock where possible, keeping
28 NOVEMBER 2024 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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