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A beautifully written memoir blending nature writing with travelogue - and a story of overcoming depression and trauma after a childhood in the Northern Ireland Troubles; A nature writer, broadcaster and contributor to trade publications including BBC Countryfile and Wanderlust; Strong media interest in cycling and bikepacking, plus the epic and inspirational midlife challenge.

About the Author

Helen Moat is the author of travel guides and a regular contributor to BBC Countryfile magazine, Wanderlust, a variety of websites and to regional radio, as well as leading travel workshops. Originally from Northern Ireland, she lives in Derbyshire, in the heart of the Peak District National Park.

Reviews

"Glorious ... an inspiring adventure ... humorous encounters and joyful times." Tom Chesshyre, Daily Mail; "Ideal reading for vicarious armchair travellers ... rich in emotional flashbacks and keen observations ... Moat is an exquisite stylist. Her unhurried, free-flowing narrative captivates the reader from the very first sentence ... a thoroughly unputdownable travel book." Vitali Vitaliev, Engineering & Technology Magazine;"A prayer of a book. A hymn to the healing power of cycling slow." Chris Dolan; "A stand-out work of honesty and integrity, loss and hope.' Alan Brown; 'A perfect read for these times of isolation ... a fantastic book." John Toal, BBC Radio Ulster; "This wonderful narrative of her epic mid-life trek across Europe with her son to Istanbul is harrowing and inspiring by rapid turns ... this pretty spectacular account of her childhood upbringing, 20 years after the Belfast Agreement, joins the small but potent library shelf of Brethren 'survivor diaries' on which sit such as Edmund Gosse's Father and Son and our own Max Wright's Told In Gath. Indispensable, heart-breaking, uplifting, beautifully-conceived and -written, Moat's contribution is of that standard." Damian Smyth, Arts Council of Northern Ireland; "There is more than one journey in this lovely, engrossing, book ... beautifully told, vivid in its colours and characters ... the prose twinkles and sparkles like birdsong ... a reminder of the healing power of nature, humanity and the active joy of slow, self-powered movement." Dead Deer blog