Elliott & Thompson, 2025
Available to order from Hive, Bookshop.org, Sam Read Bookseller, and The Portobello Bookshop.
Pathfinding: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom
In the wake of the complete metamorphosis of becoming a mother, Kerri Andrews determines to undertake a series of journeys on foot to understand what has happened to her.
Alongside a backpack full of supplies, Kerri carries with her the shadow of post-natal depression and the idea that maybe the hills are no longer for those, like her, who bear the mental and physical scars of childbearing and childrearing.
Yet, what she soon discovers are tales of mother-walkers that have long been neglected or hidden away. From Mary Wollstonecraft and Ellen Weeton to Kate Chopin, here are women whose urgent stories offer new ways of stepping into motherhood.
As Kerri traverses urban, rural and increasingly mountainous landscapes in the North West and Scotland, she is joined by women who have also experienced the profound changes that having children can bring to bodies and minds. Together, they explore the complicated ground of motherhood today – balancing enormous responsibility and upheaval with ambition, rage and hope – creating new paths as they go.
‘What a bold, brave book this is’ – Helen Jukes, author of Mother Animal
‘Left me itching to lace up my boots and follow the call of the path’ – Laura Pashby, author of Chasing Fog
