Floating

The British journalist explores self-healing in wild waters across the UK—from Yorkshire to Jura and Wales—in this “genuine and refreshing nature memoir” (Kirkus Reviews).

Following the example of naturalist Roger Deakin in his classic memoir Waterlog, journalist Joe Minihane becomes obsessed with wild swimming and its restorative qualities. Putting one arm over the other, sometimes resting on his back, he begins to confront his personal demons while rekindling old friendships and forging new ones. Through Minihane’s thoughtful description, the act of swimming becomes both strange and beautiful as the wild water puts him in touch with nature and himself.

From Hampstead to Yorkshire, from Dorset to Jura, from the Isles of Scilly to Wales, Floating is a love letter to different wild stretches of water. But it also captures Minihane’s struggle to understand his life and move forward. Steeped in the anti-authoritarian and naturalistic spirit of Roger Deakin, Minihane celebrates the joy of taking time out to feel better.