Island tales, lake swimming and forming relationships with rivers all feature in Freya Bromley’s pick of the books to focus on women and water.
Turning by Jessica J Lee
At the age of 28, Jessica finds herself alone in Berlin and decides to swim 52 of the city’s lakes. It’s beautiful to follow the re-emergence of her confidence and independence as she swims through the seasons. Jessica’s writing about water is some of the best I’ve encountered.
The Outrun by Amy Liptrot
A sublime story of coming back from the edge. Liptrot returns to the sheep farm in Orkney where she grew up after more than a decade away. This is a memoir to return to again and again, when you’re in need of an escape.
Sea Bean by Sally Huband
Another book set on a Scottish island, this is Huband’s quest to find a mermaid’s purse after she develops a chronic illness trigged by pregnancy. Her journey is full of resilience, myths and coastal treasures. It inspires the meditative joy of beachcombing.
- International Women’s Day: 50 feminist books to smash the patriarchy
- Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield review: A mystical thriller with serious depth
Soundings by Doreen Conningham
In this immersive and gentle story, Doreen and her toddler Max follow the grey whale migration route. This moving journey shares what we can learn from other species about how to parent in a time of change.
The Flow by Amy-Jane Beer
Recent winner of the Wainwright Prize, this intimate meditation on rivers explores our relationship with water. Beer visits the river where her close friend tragically died 12 years earlier. Like grief and water, it meanders. A lyrical and attentive memoir.
