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Enchanted Ground: Growing Roots in a Broken World
A quest for belonging through the forsaken landscapes of Britain
When Steven Lovatt’s grandmother died, he lost not only a beloved family member but also his last link to the way of life she had rooted in place, socially democratic, ecologically rich. Cut loose from the past and confronted with a present missing even the birds of his childhood, Steven’s mind cracked.
Drawing on field work, local library archives and oral history, as well as dreams, diaries and visions, Enchanted Ground charts a fractured course from breakdown to belonging. For if he is to survive, Steven realises he must set out, like a pilgrim, across the motorways and monoculture wastes of Britain in search of enchanted ground – and those who have begun to rebuild it.
When Steven Lovatt’s grandmother died, he lost not only a beloved family member but also his last link to the way of life she had rooted in place, socially democratic, ecologically rich. Cut loose from the past and confronted with a present missing even the birds of his childhood, Steven’s mind cracked.
Drawing on field work, local library archives and oral history, as well as dreams, diaries and visions, Enchanted Ground charts a fractured course from breakdown to belonging. For if he is to survive, Steven realises he must set out, like a pilgrim, across the motorways and monoculture wastes of Britain in search of enchanted ground – and those who have begun to rebuild it.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 4, 2025
Interesting. I found this book has been sitting in my mind between reading sessions.
Following an experience that felt like a collapse of hope and grief following his grandmother's passing, Steven set out to find his place, belonging and connection.
This book explores Steven's own mental health journey, down memory lane of both his parents, traces ancestral/geographical links, the stories that objects tell.
The dangers and inconsistency of nostalgia
Formation of childhood memories
Communities of growing: permaculture and pottery
Solace of the natural world and language
Taking away the romantic innocence of the past and exposing truth
Hope and fear can both lead to inactivity
Work being the method of connection we can carry
Following an experience that felt like a collapse of hope and grief following his grandmother's passing, Steven set out to find his place, belonging and connection.
This book explores Steven's own mental health journey, down memory lane of both his parents, traces ancestral/geographical links, the stories that objects tell.
The dangers and inconsistency of nostalgia
Formation of childhood memories
Communities of growing: permaculture and pottery
Solace of the natural world and language
Taking away the romantic innocence of the past and exposing truth
Hope and fear can both lead to inactivity
Work being the method of connection we can carry
July 29, 2025
A delightful read that lingered on my mind between between sessions.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews