This memoir ticked many boxes for me: it’s nature writing combined with a personal journey of recovery. Having just celebrated two years of sobriety myself, I could very much relate to Liptrot’s inner turmoil as she comes to terms with her past behaviour under the influence of alcohol and her realization that she could never drink again.
The best parts of this memoir, however, are her evocative descriptions of the harsh landscape of the Orkney Islands. I could feel the wild wind, I could hear the bird calls and taste the salt sea spray.