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I Can Hear the Cuckoo: Life in the Wilds of Wales
One woman's journey to the Welsh Valley, and how she heals a fractured past and discovers a sense of belonging through the community she finds there
Heart Valley, based on Wilf the farmer and written and co-produced by Kiran Sidhu, won Best Documentary Short Film at Tribeca Film Festival 2022
After Kiran loses her mother, she escapes to the Welsh countryside - to allow herself to grieve away from turbulent city life in London, to leave her toxic family behind, and to find solace in the purity of the natural world.
She openly wonders, 'what's a brown city girl like me doing in the Welsh countryside?', but she quickly discovers a sense of belonging in the small, close-knit community she finds there; her neighbour Sarah, who teaches her how to sledge when the winter snow arrives; Jane, a 70-year-old woman who lives at the top of a mountain with three dogs and four alpacas with an inspiring attitude for life; and Wilf, the farmer who eats the same supper every day, and taught Kiran that the cuckoo arrives in April and leaves in July.
I Can Hear the Cuckoo is a tender, philosophical memoir about the beauty of a microscopic life, the value of solitariness, and respecting the rhythm and timing of the earth. This is a reflective book about finding friendship in the most unexpected places -and what nature and a small community in the Welsh Valleys can teach us about life.
A short film about Kiran's profile on Wilf was created by Pulse Films called Heart Valley, and Kiran is credited as writer and co-producer. The film won Best Documentary Short Film at Tribeca Film Festival 2022, beating over 7,000 submissions and 20 finalists. It's being shown on BBC Wales at the end of July '22 and will be on iPlayer for a year.
Heart Valley, based on Wilf the farmer and written and co-produced by Kiran Sidhu, won Best Documentary Short Film at Tribeca Film Festival 2022
After Kiran loses her mother, she escapes to the Welsh countryside - to allow herself to grieve away from turbulent city life in London, to leave her toxic family behind, and to find solace in the purity of the natural world.
She openly wonders, 'what's a brown city girl like me doing in the Welsh countryside?', but she quickly discovers a sense of belonging in the small, close-knit community she finds there; her neighbour Sarah, who teaches her how to sledge when the winter snow arrives; Jane, a 70-year-old woman who lives at the top of a mountain with three dogs and four alpacas with an inspiring attitude for life; and Wilf, the farmer who eats the same supper every day, and taught Kiran that the cuckoo arrives in April and leaves in July.
I Can Hear the Cuckoo is a tender, philosophical memoir about the beauty of a microscopic life, the value of solitariness, and respecting the rhythm and timing of the earth. This is a reflective book about finding friendship in the most unexpected places -and what nature and a small community in the Welsh Valleys can teach us about life.
A short film about Kiran's profile on Wilf was created by Pulse Films called Heart Valley, and Kiran is credited as writer and co-producer. The film won Best Documentary Short Film at Tribeca Film Festival 2022, beating over 7,000 submissions and 20 finalists. It's being shown on BBC Wales at the end of July '22 and will be on iPlayer for a year.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published October 17, 2023
21 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 17, 2023
Having heard the author being interviewed, I was keen to read her book.
This is a woman who was struggling to cope with her mother's death and the family fallout so upped sticks from London to rural North Wales. The best parts of the book, for me, was the description of the individuals and community in a very small hamlet and the impact of the seasons.
Sadly, there were several points that really jarred in my reading. I found it bizarre that, although this was very much her story, she did in fact move with her husband, who remains but a shadow in the descriptive prose used for other characters. I was irritated by the endless tautological paragraphs which I would have expected an editor to expunge. It felt as if this was used as padding and could have been easily replaced by a deeper drilling down into her experiences of not only being an outsider but a woman of Indian descent in an otherwise white monoculture. There is also quite a long section about writer's block. Whilst we all know it is a "thing", my experience is that writers tend not to overshare this period as constantly referencing it in conversation expounds the problem.
All this aside, Sidhu finds solace in a slower pace of life, adapting to rhythms of life defined by sheep farming, the weather, the light and being accepted by another sort of family, a community who accept and embrace her. I wish her well on her journey of healing.
This is a woman who was struggling to cope with her mother's death and the family fallout so upped sticks from London to rural North Wales. The best parts of the book, for me, was the description of the individuals and community in a very small hamlet and the impact of the seasons.
Sadly, there were several points that really jarred in my reading. I found it bizarre that, although this was very much her story, she did in fact move with her husband, who remains but a shadow in the descriptive prose used for other characters. I was irritated by the endless tautological paragraphs which I would have expected an editor to expunge. It felt as if this was used as padding and could have been easily replaced by a deeper drilling down into her experiences of not only being an outsider but a woman of Indian descent in an otherwise white monoculture. There is also quite a long section about writer's block. Whilst we all know it is a "thing", my experience is that writers tend not to overshare this period as constantly referencing it in conversation expounds the problem.
All this aside, Sidhu finds solace in a slower pace of life, adapting to rhythms of life defined by sheep farming, the weather, the light and being accepted by another sort of family, a community who accept and embrace her. I wish her well on her journey of healing.
January 11, 2024
***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
I found it really hard to find the motivation to finish this book, as I found nothing in it compelling.
For me, this reads like someone went on a gap year to Thailand or India and came back spiritualising every tiny moment of it - except, in this book, it’s a city girl moving to Wales.
None of the characters we meet - including, incredibly, the author herself - feel remotely real. They speak in cliche philosophical soundbites, and feel to me as though they are lifted from various Enid Blyton farm stories rather than real life.
I was expecting this book would be more about the author learning to deal with her grief over the death of her mother, and whilst she of course does touch on that, the book is really about a fish out of water learning basic countryside facts, which I didn’t find particularly interesting.
May 29, 2023
Beautifully written and took me to Wales . Connecting with traditions and walks of life .
Very calming but emotional.
Very calming but emotional.
December 31, 2023
I have always believed ‘memoir’ as a genre is a tough nut to crack; it is because you have to tell your real-life (boring) story in an immersive tone and pace to keep your readers engaged - not an easy task by any means.
Here, in I Can Hear the Cuckoo: Life in the Wilds of Wales, Kiran is doubly challenged to tell her painful tale of her mother’s loss during Christmas Eve and her subsequent burial on New Year’s Eve, which she can never enjoy as others; indeed, she has never enjoyed this festive season due to her father’s alcoholism during her childhood days and her mother’s demise in adulthood.
Yet the author writes a compelling and meditative narrative nonfiction that is cathartic, bringing in hope in us that death is inevitable, has to be accepted, and we can move on by finding happiness in little things with nature’s glory and humans’ humility.
This book is divided into four sections, classified according to the seasonal changes that accompany the various other demands upon people, their work, food, culture, and so on and so forth.
For Kiran, family has never been supportive, except for her mother and a caring husband. After her mother’s loss, she cannot handle the psychological and mental agony, so she makes the drastic choice of leaving the luxurious city life and settling in the Welsh valley in The Long Barn cottage, her new home, surrounded by mountains, lakes, and a plethora of flora and fauna with extreme Welsh (winter) weather when it arrives.
She learns and knows how village life works on a daily basis as a clockwork; she also learns new skills, which are necessary when you live in a no-man’s land of sorts: handling the electric stuff, tackling when livestock enter your corridor, caring for hurt birds, slaughtering pigs, which she would not have in her wildest imagination.
These kinds of books require slow-paced reading, where one needs to sync in and assimilate the character’s emotional and psychological hurt from loss, and travel with them to find a recuperative resolution to become a resilient person. Memoir teaches you how to handle real-life situations (here, we see grief and loss) through the writer’s vision.
Some of my favourite episodic chapters in this memoir are ‘The Slaughter of Pigs’, ‘The Cries of the Lambs’, ‘The Bird of Prey Who Came to Tea’, ‘Writer’s Block’, ‘The Secret Highlands’, and ‘Christmas Eve’.
After reading this memoir, do watch Heart Valley, an award-winning short documentary on the life of Wilf Davies, a 73-year-old farmer who eats the same food for more than 10 years and has never left country life for city life in his lifetime. This heart-touching 19-minute video of a Welsh shepherd is a must-watch and highly recommended, as is the memoir.
Here, in I Can Hear the Cuckoo: Life in the Wilds of Wales, Kiran is doubly challenged to tell her painful tale of her mother’s loss during Christmas Eve and her subsequent burial on New Year’s Eve, which she can never enjoy as others; indeed, she has never enjoyed this festive season due to her father’s alcoholism during her childhood days and her mother’s demise in adulthood.
Yet the author writes a compelling and meditative narrative nonfiction that is cathartic, bringing in hope in us that death is inevitable, has to be accepted, and we can move on by finding happiness in little things with nature’s glory and humans’ humility.
This book is divided into four sections, classified according to the seasonal changes that accompany the various other demands upon people, their work, food, culture, and so on and so forth.
For Kiran, family has never been supportive, except for her mother and a caring husband. After her mother’s loss, she cannot handle the psychological and mental agony, so she makes the drastic choice of leaving the luxurious city life and settling in the Welsh valley in The Long Barn cottage, her new home, surrounded by mountains, lakes, and a plethora of flora and fauna with extreme Welsh (winter) weather when it arrives.
She learns and knows how village life works on a daily basis as a clockwork; she also learns new skills, which are necessary when you live in a no-man’s land of sorts: handling the electric stuff, tackling when livestock enter your corridor, caring for hurt birds, slaughtering pigs, which she would not have in her wildest imagination.
These kinds of books require slow-paced reading, where one needs to sync in and assimilate the character’s emotional and psychological hurt from loss, and travel with them to find a recuperative resolution to become a resilient person. Memoir teaches you how to handle real-life situations (here, we see grief and loss) through the writer’s vision.
Some of my favourite episodic chapters in this memoir are ‘The Slaughter of Pigs’, ‘The Cries of the Lambs’, ‘The Bird of Prey Who Came to Tea’, ‘Writer’s Block’, ‘The Secret Highlands’, and ‘Christmas Eve’.
After reading this memoir, do watch Heart Valley, an award-winning short documentary on the life of Wilf Davies, a 73-year-old farmer who eats the same food for more than 10 years and has never left country life for city life in his lifetime. This heart-touching 19-minute video of a Welsh shepherd is a must-watch and highly recommended, as is the memoir.
January 4, 2024
I haven't loved a book in a while, but this book I loved. I didn't expect to and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It's about grief, finding beauty in nature, creating a meaningful life through appreciation and joy in the simple things in life and the company of good people. It sounds simplistic on the surface, the book isn't. And it's poetic in a beautiful way. Reminds me of Mary Oliver, but in a prose format.
Anyone who has truly grieved after death of someone they loved deeply may identify with it. I thought Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking was an excellent portrayal of grief in the aftermath of death. Kiran Sidhu's book is a bit different as it's not solely about grief and death, although that's the underlying backstory. Her descriptions of the change in herself, enjoying nature and things that she never would have previously before her mother passed away, of the process of "living" again, rang powerful and true. I went through a similar evolution and could identify.
Her stories of the Welsh countryside, the nature, birds, trees, animals, and the people who inhabited the small hamlet were magical. I was transported to that world while I read and wanted to be part of it.
Anyone who has truly grieved after death of someone they loved deeply may identify with it. I thought Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking was an excellent portrayal of grief in the aftermath of death. Kiran Sidhu's book is a bit different as it's not solely about grief and death, although that's the underlying backstory. Her descriptions of the change in herself, enjoying nature and things that she never would have previously before her mother passed away, of the process of "living" again, rang powerful and true. I went through a similar evolution and could identify.
Her stories of the Welsh countryside, the nature, birds, trees, animals, and the people who inhabited the small hamlet were magical. I was transported to that world while I read and wanted to be part of it.
September 23, 2023
I think the overall word that springs to mind when reading this book is whimsical.
It started off well, the author's mother dies and she moves away from London to the Welsh hills to flee her toxic constrained family. And so we get lovely descriptions of the Welsh countryside, the lovely Welsh people, lovely Welsh kindness, the lovely Welsh animals, the lovely Welsh seasons (do you see a pattern here?!) And yet it's not enough. It's difficult to tell at first whether Kiran is living in Wales properly as she initially mentions spending only weekends there. Presumably then she moves there full time, who knows? The pain of her mother's death is terrible and she can't stop ruminating on her mother's illness, death and her family's treatment of her after her mum's death. Without wanting to sound heartless, we get it! Death is shit, losing a parent is shit, grieving is shit, families are shit. Writing a book that sounds whiny, whimsical and childishly naive is shit!
I think I just ran out of patience in the end. Yes woe is you, you lost your mum and lost contact with your blood relatives, but you know you have a loving husband, a (what sounds like a very expensive) house in a sought after part of the Welsh countryside, a second holiday home abroad, time and means to travel extensively abroad (mentions trips to New York) and a book deal for this book presumably, so things aint that bad are they Kiran?
If you like your whimsical, moany, woe is me tales with a side order of Countryfile and Country Living magazine, then I'd say this will be right up your street. It was not for me however.
It started off well, the author's mother dies and she moves away from London to the Welsh hills to flee her toxic constrained family. And so we get lovely descriptions of the Welsh countryside, the lovely Welsh people, lovely Welsh kindness, the lovely Welsh animals, the lovely Welsh seasons (do you see a pattern here?!) And yet it's not enough. It's difficult to tell at first whether Kiran is living in Wales properly as she initially mentions spending only weekends there. Presumably then she moves there full time, who knows? The pain of her mother's death is terrible and she can't stop ruminating on her mother's illness, death and her family's treatment of her after her mum's death. Without wanting to sound heartless, we get it! Death is shit, losing a parent is shit, grieving is shit, families are shit. Writing a book that sounds whiny, whimsical and childishly naive is shit!
I think I just ran out of patience in the end. Yes woe is you, you lost your mum and lost contact with your blood relatives, but you know you have a loving husband, a (what sounds like a very expensive) house in a sought after part of the Welsh countryside, a second holiday home abroad, time and means to travel extensively abroad (mentions trips to New York) and a book deal for this book presumably, so things aint that bad are they Kiran?
If you like your whimsical, moany, woe is me tales with a side order of Countryfile and Country Living magazine, then I'd say this will be right up your street. It was not for me however.
May 13, 2023
There is a lot wrong with this book and there is a lot right. The power of centering ourselves in the world is not to be understated and Kiran Sidhu conveys this wonderfully. I picked up this book as living away from the city is an aspiration but this book is about so much more.
September 29, 2023
Kiran Sidhu quotes Arthur Schopenhauer at the start of her account of her bereavement journey:
“In solitude everyone has to face himself.”
Kiran grows in self-awareness steadily throughout the book.
“I wondered what I missed in life by thinking that the wisdom of others whose lives were different to mine could not have any bearing on my life. How wrong I had been.”
Kiran lived in London and she recounts the horrific experience of losing her Mum to whom she was very close. After an initial period of mourning she and her partner went on holiday to “the Wilds of Wales”. After a while they decide to relocate to “the wilds of Wales.”
It is an evocative, well written account of Kieran’s journey of grief. It is divided into the seasons; spring, when she and her husband moved to West Wales, summer, autumn and winter. Kiran Sidhu describes her natural environment in vivid detail and the human connections she forms. Her life and person gradually opens like a flower.” Integrated into the narrative is her bereavement journey.
By the end of the well structured account she is being reintegrated into a new way of life.
She also has a continuing bond with her mother whom she loved and liked immensely.
To conclude, Kiran talks of the passing of time. This quote from “I can hear the Cuckoo” which resonated for me.
“We only become fully aware of time when we realise we have so little of it. And
then it’s nearly always too late. Time is the Houdini of the metaphysical world; it escapes through the back door of our lives, although we never really felt it enter..”
“In solitude everyone has to face himself.”
Kiran grows in self-awareness steadily throughout the book.
“I wondered what I missed in life by thinking that the wisdom of others whose lives were different to mine could not have any bearing on my life. How wrong I had been.”
Kiran lived in London and she recounts the horrific experience of losing her Mum to whom she was very close. After an initial period of mourning she and her partner went on holiday to “the Wilds of Wales”. After a while they decide to relocate to “the wilds of Wales.”
It is an evocative, well written account of Kieran’s journey of grief. It is divided into the seasons; spring, when she and her husband moved to West Wales, summer, autumn and winter. Kiran Sidhu describes her natural environment in vivid detail and the human connections she forms. Her life and person gradually opens like a flower.” Integrated into the narrative is her bereavement journey.
By the end of the well structured account she is being reintegrated into a new way of life.
She also has a continuing bond with her mother whom she loved and liked immensely.
To conclude, Kiran talks of the passing of time. This quote from “I can hear the Cuckoo” which resonated for me.
“We only become fully aware of time when we realise we have so little of it. And
then it’s nearly always too late. Time is the Houdini of the metaphysical world; it escapes through the back door of our lives, although we never really felt it enter..”
September 27, 2023
I read this book when I was on a “micro sabbatical” from work. I couldn’t decide whether to buy the book or not, but something inside me told me that I should. I wouldn’t regret it.
When I started reading it, I found it quite hard - not because the writing was bad, but because the words were trying to tap into something in me that I had suppressed - a connection to a palate of emotions that, largely because of my focus on work, that I had learned to ignore.
I gradually learned how to read it - this wasn’t my usual fare of “space opera” where one explosion leads the protagonist to deliver a stunning treatise on AI and humanity. This was like medicine - to be taken in small quantities, to help illuminate thoughts and feelings within me that I never would give myself a chance to experience.
I eventually fell into a firm routine with this book, reading only a chapter a day or so, and savouring the insights within - just mulling them over like turning a lovely pebble in my mind’s hand - and just allowing myself to empathise and feel.
This book has been a key stepping stone for my own healing, and I look forward to more from Kiran.
When I started reading it, I found it quite hard - not because the writing was bad, but because the words were trying to tap into something in me that I had suppressed - a connection to a palate of emotions that, largely because of my focus on work, that I had learned to ignore.
I gradually learned how to read it - this wasn’t my usual fare of “space opera” where one explosion leads the protagonist to deliver a stunning treatise on AI and humanity. This was like medicine - to be taken in small quantities, to help illuminate thoughts and feelings within me that I never would give myself a chance to experience.
I eventually fell into a firm routine with this book, reading only a chapter a day or so, and savouring the insights within - just mulling them over like turning a lovely pebble in my mind’s hand - and just allowing myself to empathise and feel.
This book has been a key stepping stone for my own healing, and I look forward to more from Kiran.
February 3, 2024
There was so much I loved about this book, but there was equally a lot that I sloughed through. It’s a keeper that I may reread, but not a book I’m enthusiastic about getting others to read.
A big issue for me is the long sob over the death of the author’s mom when this is something most of us face in our lifetime. I miss my parents and my aunt, but I continued to live. Her mother’s death seemed to bring about a sort of living half death to the author that frankly got to be a bit much to carry for an entire book’s read.
A big issue for me is the long sob over the death of the author’s mom when this is something most of us face in our lifetime. I miss my parents and my aunt, but I continued to live. Her mother’s death seemed to bring about a sort of living half death to the author that frankly got to be a bit much to carry for an entire book’s read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2024
"Just because a place is familiar to you, it doesn't always mean it's the place where you belong." After the death of her mother and an estrangement from the rest of her family, Kiran Sidhu escapes her London home for a new life in a remote Welsh village. This book explores themes of love, loss, time, family, culture and belonging as Sidhu charts her journey through grief alongside her adjustment to rural life.
A book that focusses so much on the grieving process might sound depressing, but I found it a very positive read. Sidhu is very graphic in her descriptions of the pain of bereavement, but she doesn't wallow in misery, and it's heartening to see how she gradually adapts and learns to move forward in her new life.
I appreciated her respect for the rural community into which she moves. She's extremely ignorant about country life at the start, assuming that the countryside is noiseless and being scared of encountering a hare because she believes they 'box' with humans, but she is refreshingly open to learning and adapting. Trimming a goat's hooves, she reflects that "many things that I thought were brutal actually weren't; they were just things that were done in my new environment...I always held a naïve picture in my head of farming life; a wholesome picture that sat in my head in a warm glow...but it was difficult, uncomfortable and exhausting."
This is a book that encourages the reader to appreciate the small, everyday things: "Both death and chocolate ganache existed - and depending upon what day it was, one was more important than the other". "It's extraordinary how the ordinary becomes beautiful when it's under threat." It's also a book that encourages us to venture more boldly, to take risks and to never stop exploring: "One must get lost in life every so often; how else are we to find ourselves in uncharted territory? I was beginning to realise that too much emphasis is put on finding one's place in life, and not enough importance on the teachings of being lost...It had become obvious to me that the best gift anyone could give to someone was to show them their true potential, and then to let them swim in it." Ultimately, it's a book that teaches us to value what we have in the moment we have it.
A book that focusses so much on the grieving process might sound depressing, but I found it a very positive read. Sidhu is very graphic in her descriptions of the pain of bereavement, but she doesn't wallow in misery, and it's heartening to see how she gradually adapts and learns to move forward in her new life.
I appreciated her respect for the rural community into which she moves. She's extremely ignorant about country life at the start, assuming that the countryside is noiseless and being scared of encountering a hare because she believes they 'box' with humans, but she is refreshingly open to learning and adapting. Trimming a goat's hooves, she reflects that "many things that I thought were brutal actually weren't; they were just things that were done in my new environment...I always held a naïve picture in my head of farming life; a wholesome picture that sat in my head in a warm glow...but it was difficult, uncomfortable and exhausting."
This is a book that encourages the reader to appreciate the small, everyday things: "Both death and chocolate ganache existed - and depending upon what day it was, one was more important than the other". "It's extraordinary how the ordinary becomes beautiful when it's under threat." It's also a book that encourages us to venture more boldly, to take risks and to never stop exploring: "One must get lost in life every so often; how else are we to find ourselves in uncharted territory? I was beginning to realise that too much emphasis is put on finding one's place in life, and not enough importance on the teachings of being lost...It had become obvious to me that the best gift anyone could give to someone was to show them their true potential, and then to let them swim in it." Ultimately, it's a book that teaches us to value what we have in the moment we have it.
January 18, 2024
This is a touching read, following a woman who is seeking a new life after the loss of her mother.
She's always lived in the city, so to swap city life for rural Wales was a big step but she knew she needed something new, and after a holiday with her husband they took the plunge to move and see what life could offer them there.
What I enjoyed was the style of writing and the discoveries she made while she was living this more rural, isolated life. It made her stop to take time to look around and notice the small things, and just the simple pleasure of a walk in nature would take her out of herself and focus on what she saw. Meeting the locals also proved to be a big help in her 'healing' especially Wilf, who lived the simplest of lives and was more than content with his lot. That's what the author had lost sight of, so it felt like Wilf was put into her life to make her appreciate the small things and pleasures of nature.
The quiet life was a real revelation to her and I loved how she interspersed her new life in Wales, with looking back over her family history and the dark times during her mothers' illness. She also takes us through the seasons with her, so there's always something new to look forward to and you really get the sense that her eyes were really opened as to what life should be about.
it's a beautifully written memoir as she paints a vivid picture of her new life and surroundings. A very enjoyable read and reinforces the saying that nature really does heal the soul.
She's always lived in the city, so to swap city life for rural Wales was a big step but she knew she needed something new, and after a holiday with her husband they took the plunge to move and see what life could offer them there.
What I enjoyed was the style of writing and the discoveries she made while she was living this more rural, isolated life. It made her stop to take time to look around and notice the small things, and just the simple pleasure of a walk in nature would take her out of herself and focus on what she saw. Meeting the locals also proved to be a big help in her 'healing' especially Wilf, who lived the simplest of lives and was more than content with his lot. That's what the author had lost sight of, so it felt like Wilf was put into her life to make her appreciate the small things and pleasures of nature.
The quiet life was a real revelation to her and I loved how she interspersed her new life in Wales, with looking back over her family history and the dark times during her mothers' illness. She also takes us through the seasons with her, so there's always something new to look forward to and you really get the sense that her eyes were really opened as to what life should be about.
it's a beautifully written memoir as she paints a vivid picture of her new life and surroundings. A very enjoyable read and reinforces the saying that nature really does heal the soul.
May 24, 2024
I don’t know exactly what I expected from this book but it was different. Wales has always held a spot in my imagination, having never been there. Two of my friends on their own trips there said they thought of me when visiting. Someday I might visit, but for now I like picking books based there.
The author moves between personal stories and that of her settling with the new found family in the place she chose to call home.
There is a deep sorrow within the author as struggles to come to terms with the loss of her mother. She finds her new surroundings surprising and we meet all the different, mildly eccentric people who have managed to bring their own version of individuality into their lifestyle.
The back and forth between the different aspects of the author’s life was not as smooth as I expected it to be. I felt like I was reading two different books. The rawness of the emotions are evident and the book is well written, with a whole new viewpoint of a place I’ve never been to. I would have liked to linger at the location with the people for a little longer.
I would recommend this to people who find the blurb interesting.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
The author moves between personal stories and that of her settling with the new found family in the place she chose to call home.
There is a deep sorrow within the author as struggles to come to terms with the loss of her mother. She finds her new surroundings surprising and we meet all the different, mildly eccentric people who have managed to bring their own version of individuality into their lifestyle.
The back and forth between the different aspects of the author’s life was not as smooth as I expected it to be. I felt like I was reading two different books. The rawness of the emotions are evident and the book is well written, with a whole new viewpoint of a place I’ve never been to. I would have liked to linger at the location with the people for a little longer.
I would recommend this to people who find the blurb interesting.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
May 24, 2023
This book has irritated me beyond belief. The descriptions of life in the country by a city-dweller (Life changes with the seasons! Birds migrate! Farmers actually care about their animals! It’s actually not that quiet in the countryside!) are tantamount to a country person writing a book about moving to London and being awestruck by the public transport network and the number of restaurants available. If this is representative of how disconnected the rest of the urban population is from rural life then we will never save the environment; half the population don’t actually know what it is.
The author’s descriptions of grief were quite well written but for the other aspects of her life that the book covers I wanted to tell her to just get a grip. After hearing an interview on Radio 4 I had high hopes but ultimately this is a self-absorbed, mawkish and pretty patronising read.
The author’s descriptions of grief were quite well written but for the other aspects of her life that the book covers I wanted to tell her to just get a grip. After hearing an interview on Radio 4 I had high hopes but ultimately this is a self-absorbed, mawkish and pretty patronising read.
September 20, 2024
This book had something of the curate's egg about it for me. The author makes it clear how hard she took her mother's passing and it feels as though writing it down might have been a cathartic experience for her, at the risk of sounding glib. There's some lovely descriptions here. I found the passages on wilf the farmer to be beautiful and thought provoking, but the constant mentions about the author's sad loss and the effect it had on her made me feel something of a voyeur. This almost felt like a few books rolled into one and not as coherent as it could have been. A lot of this feels rather self-absorbed in places, but it comes very much from the heart and it's not hard to wish the author well.
October 28, 2023
An eloquently written, authentic and inspiring story of loss, hope and new beginnings. This book offers a gentle reminder of the true meaning of life and our place in the natural world around us. Having experienced profound grief myself, her depth of perception and expression reached into my very soul. I am so happy to know Kiran received such a wonderful welcome and found a sense of peace in the Welsh Valleys, the home of my own forebears.
February 11, 2025
I thought the writing was lovely and some passages really stayed with me, and I felt that the author spoke about themes of anxiety and nature in a very relatable way. At times I found it difficult to read about the author's profound grief, it was so sad in parts, that I found myself reluctant to pick the book back up. I'm really glad I read this though, and found it comforting and hopeful.
July 2, 2023
A very poignant story of life in Wales after moving from London. Beautiful descriptions of the wildlife and nature and the feelings that the author associated with her journey getting to know her new surroundings.
May 31, 2024
My husband gave me this book for Christmas, but I wanted to start it when the weather picked up and I could sit in my garden, not far from where it’s set, in the spring sunshine. What a wonderful book and beautifully written.
April 3, 2025
I absolutely loved this book, and so much of her life resonated with mine. The way she describes the scenery, the people, the animals, her loves and losses, all just so beautiful and gave me a sense of calm and peace.
December 2, 2025
This is a beautiful book showcasing the non-linear and painful response to the loss of a loved one and the importance of connection with nature to heal. This was the only book I could find in English during a bike trip in France and I was so pleased to have read it.
March 15, 2024
Sweet in parts but a tad morbid for me.
February 13, 2025
Utterly beautiful and heartbreaking
June 5, 2025
This is a beautiful book, so wonderfully written and very reflective. It's a book about, grief, loss, nature, and new beginnings.
October 17, 2025
A very clear account of Kiran Sidhu’s bereavement Journey after the loss of her mother on 24 December 2014. The loss was very painful but after nearly ten years Kiran’s life has grown around this loss.
I first read this memoir about two years ago and enjoyed it as much the second time I read it.
I first read this memoir about two years ago and enjoyed it as much the second time I read it.
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