The Parallel Path

Love, Grit and Walking the North

A memoir of walking the Coast to Coast path - and a lesson in caring: for one self and for others.
From acclaimed author Jenn Ashworth.

'Forget The Salt Path - this writer's introspective journey provides genuine food for thought. Chastened but buoyant, she's stimulating to be with, her book the best kind of walking companion'
Guardian
'Touching, thoughtful and frank - Jenn Ashworth is a wonderful writer'
David Nicholls, author of You Are Here

'I've long loved Ashworth's uncanny fiction, and this memoir is filled with her characteristic understanding of the connections between the physical world and our interior lives. Wonderful for taking on a walk yourself.'
Financial Times

'Like going on a long walk with an old friend: I loved it'
Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time


Burnt out and longing for an escape, Jenn Ashworth emerged from lockdown with a compulsive need to walk - and to walk away. Armed with little more than the knowledge imparted by a two-day orienteering course and a set of maps, she embarked on the most epic of English walks: Wainwright's Coast to Coast.

Guided not just by Wainwright's writing but also by daily letters from her friend Clive - facing an epic journey of his own - Jenn's pilgrimage soon becomes more than just walking: a chance to reconnect and excavate, to re-engage with the act of caring for others and for oneself.

But the walk's tricky terrain is not the only thing standing in Jenn's way. As days go by, her balance begins to fail her and the act of putting one foot in front the other becomes a new exercise in caution. When a vicious heatwave forces her to pause her expedition and gives her an opportunity to investigate the new limitations of her body, Jenn is confronted with a life-altering diagnosis - and a new path of self-discovery.


'With honesty, humour and determination, Ashworth's journey takes the reader from coast to coast in search of freedom'
Jessica Andrews, author of Milk Teeth

'Stunning - and stunningly intelligent . I was very moved and with her every step of the way'
Julie Myerson, author of Nonfiction

'Full of intelligence and wisdom, searing self-awareness and humour. Jenn Ashworth is an incredibly talented writer'
Lily Dunn, author of Sins of My Father

'Beautifully realised and powerful'
Catherine Taylor, author of The Stirrings

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