Floating

This is one man`s journey, swimming across Britain`s countryside and immersing in the sometimes icy waters while coming to terms with something more challenging than the choppy waters of the English Channel. As Joe Minihane comes up for air, he discovers that swimming is both a joyous activity and a voyage into oneself. Minihane became obsessed with wild swimming and its restorative qualities, developing a new-found passion by following the example of naturalist Roger Deakin in his classic Waterlog. While fighting the currents, sometimes treading water, Minihane begins to confront the buried issues in his life. Along the way, he rekindles old friendships and forges new ones, and after an unexpected setback discovers that he has already gained enough strength to continue his recovery
on dry land. Both strange and beautiful, the wild water puts him in touch with nature and himself. Floating is a remarkable memoir about a passion for swimming and nature. Moving from darkness into light, it is as intense and moving as it is lyrical and generous. It captures in memorable detail Minihane`s struggle to understand his life, to move forward and, steeped in the anti-authoritarian and naturalistic spirit of Deakin, celebrates the joy of taking time to enjoy life. From Hampstead to Yorkshire, and Dorset to Jura, from the Isles of Scilly to Wales, Minihane has written a love letter to wild stretches of water. We swim with him through ponds and lakes, rivers and canals, lodes and marshes, even the ice-cold sea and come out of the water healthier.Review: Lovely, lively,
passionate... a celebration of nature`s ability to inspire healing and joy` -- Robert MacFarlane, author of Landmarks `I love this book... this has to sit next to Waterlog in every swimmer`s library` -- Jenny Landreth, author of Swell: A Waterbiography `Minihane writes with a compulsive honesty and clarity that draws you into its stream as beguiling as any river Deakin ever swam - a wonderful read. Highly recommended!` -- Kate Rew founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society `A wonderful book: a love letter to wild swimming, a hate letter to anxiety and a story of how we can learn to live with ourselves, our overclocked minds, even after we climb out of the water` -- Joe Dunthorne, author of Submarine