The Salt Path

Author Raynor Winn
Narrator Raynor Winn
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Publish Date 19 September 2019
Run Time 9 hours and 2 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Biography and non-fiction prose, Coping with illness and specific health conditions, Family and health, Housing and homelessness, Memoirs, Society and Social Sciences, Sports and Active outdoor recreation, Walking, hiking, trekking.

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

The uplifting true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey of salvation across the South West coastline.

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'

Just days after Raynor Winn 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.

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, 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.

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

User Reviews

Book 4.8

Narration 4.0

5.0

4.0

BabyBailey1 05/02/2025

5.0

4.0

A very engaging listen. An inspirational story of determination, willpower and love.

Molly wj 16/03/2024

5.0

4.0

Revsy 14/08/2023

4.0

3.0

anniedactyl 24/07/2023

5.0

Really enjoyed this and especially liked that you read your own book.

hitresa@hotmail.com 09/03/2022

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