The Wild Remedy: How Nature Mends Us - A Diary

(Hardback)

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Description

Emma Mitchell doesnt want to beat around the hawthorn bush, she suffers with depression, and has done for twenty-five years. In 2009, the stresses of a city job became too much and she decided to move her family into a cottage in the Cambridgeshire Fens. She swapped days in the office for walks in the wood. There she began to get better. And better. Her encounters with nature proving to be as medicinal as any therapy or drug.

In Emmas hand-illustrated diary, she takes us with her as she stomps the paths and trails around her home and further afield, sharing her nature finds and tracking the lives of local flora and fauna over the course of a year. Reflecting on how these encounters impact her mood, she explains the science behind such changes, calling on new research into forest bathing and our innate urge to be among leafy, furred and feathered things.

Filled with Emmas beautiful drawings, paintings and photography, this is a book for those who want to bring a little piece of the outdoors with them, whether you struggle with low mood or just love discovering more about the natural world.

Reviews

A beautiful book that explores the seasons in elegant prose with charming illustrations. It's a diary of nature, but also of how it can heal. * The Sunday Telegraph *
Honest, melancholic, joyous, thankful and illuminating in ever-shifting and subtle measure. * Psychologies *
A delightful almanac... Here we have not only precise, detailed writing but also gorgeous illustrations, painting and photographs. Mitchell shares her knowledge and skills generously. Highly recommend. * BBC Countryfile Magazine *
Emma Mitchell's excellent The Wild Remedy ... elaborate[s] stylishly the link between mental health and the ability to open ourselves up in open space. * The Guardian *
A torch-bearer of light and colour in an often dark world. A stand-alone work of art. * Joe Harkness, Resurgence and Ecologist Magazine *
Be inspired by Emma's reflections on the healing power of wildlife. * Top Sant Magazine *
The Wild Remedy is both a paean to the countryside, and a rallying call for better approaches to mental health. It's a thoughtful tale, supported by Mitchell's scientific research, and the evocative descriptions of her hedgerow finds. * The English Garden *
A beautiful year-long ramble through the paths and trails around Emma's cottage and further afield. * Soul & Spirit Magazine *
Deeply moving... this powerful book reminds us that nature is everywhere, and solace can even come from a tree at the side of the road. * Sunday Business Post *
Emma Mitchell is a gifted writer. This book is well researched, knowledgeable and readable. The book itself is beautiful. Almost a work of art. * Birdwatch Magazine *
This is a beautiful, beautiful book, and I can't recommend it enough. -- Sue Perkins
Emma's words are profound, her photography is inspiring and her illustrations are exquisite. This book is the literary equivalent of Prozac. -- Emma Freud
An absolute joy. Rarely do you find a book that soothes both the mind and the soul, but The Wild Remedy has managed it. Between its pages lies everything I believe in the fractures uniting us as human beings and the ability of nature to mend and heal. This is such a powerful and beautiful book, and I can't think of anyone whose life would not be a better place for reading it. -- Joanna Cannon
Emmas writing is precise, gorgeous and inspiring, and I am delighted to have a whole year's worth of her beautiful artwork. She makes me look more closely, learn more gladly and get outside more. -- Amy Liptrot
Emma Mitchell has a knack for making even the humblest garden or daily dog-walk seem richer and more rewarding. It comes as no surprise that her ability to make and share a creative connection to nature can benefit mental health. -- Melissa Harrison
Brutally honest about her struggles with mental health issues, especially during the dark, colourless days of winter, and the long recovery thereafter ... This is a warming, gentle book and it imparts its own mild therapy as we are guided slowly through the year. * Mark Avery Blog *
Beautiful and inspiring * Culture Fly *

Author Bio

Emma Mitchell is a popular designer-maker, naturalist, illustrator and craft teacher. She has a monthly column in Countryfile magazine and is one of the Guardians Country Diarists. She has also written for Mollie Makes, Country Living and Standard Issue magazine and has recently appeared on the BBCs Countryfile winter special (10 million viewers) and BBC Radio 4s Womans Hour. Her first book, Making Winter, was published in October 2017 to outstanding praise. Emma lives on the edge of the Fens in Eastern England with her husband, two daughters, her whippet puppy and two guinea pigs. She records her daily nature finds with photographs and illustrations on her Instagram (@silverpebble2) which has over 105,000 followers, including Nigel Slater, India Knight and Emma Freud.