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The Tangles
Not yet published
Expected 11 Feb 27'Fascinating. Elemental. Extraordinary' ANNIE MACMANUS
One bright autumn morning while swimming off the east coast of England, Amy Liptrot’s fingers wrap around some fresh fronds of kelp. So begins her encounter with seaweed, one that becomes a quest to understand this magnificent life form. Following her curiosity for this undersea world - and determined not to lose her appetite for adventure even with two small children in tow - she moves north to the remote island of Papay, Orkney. There in the depths of winter her young boys come to experience the island life where she grew up, and as spring comes around they spend more time with their elderly grandfather.
With her adventure-hungry, lyrical and wind-swept style, Amy records how her family grows and recedes in its new coastal nook. Blending ecology, history and memoir, The Tangles chronicles how paying closer attention to the world around her changes the way Amy moves through the tangles of her own life.
One bright autumn morning while swimming off the east coast of England, Amy Liptrot’s fingers wrap around some fresh fronds of kelp. So begins her encounter with seaweed, one that becomes a quest to understand this magnificent life form. Following her curiosity for this undersea world - and determined not to lose her appetite for adventure even with two small children in tow - she moves north to the remote island of Papay, Orkney. There in the depths of winter her young boys come to experience the island life where she grew up, and as spring comes around they spend more time with their elderly grandfather.
With her adventure-hungry, lyrical and wind-swept style, Amy records how her family grows and recedes in its new coastal nook. Blending ecology, history and memoir, The Tangles chronicles how paying closer attention to the world around her changes the way Amy moves through the tangles of her own life.
- GenresNonfiction
Audible Audio
Expected publication February 11, 2027
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October 21, 2026
A wonderful sequel to The Outrun and a really fascinating tutorial on everything you could possibly want to know about seaweed and other algae. The author prefers the term seaware as they are so fundamental to the ocean’s ecosystem that it is misleading to use the term ‘weed’ which is usually seen as derogatory. Algae’s role in oxygen production means it is essential to life on earth and the shores around the UK are amongst the richest in the world in terms of the variety and volume of species. Amy Liptrot returns to Orkney with her family to live for 6 months on Papa Westray, known to locals as Papay, and one of the smallest islands in Orkney, to learn more about the seaweeds and algae living around the shores there.
Seaweeds have their own names in Orcadian, including tang and tangles, hence the name of the book, though the word has several meanings in this context. Seaweed/ware was the basis of one of the biggest industries in the Scottish Highlands and Islands in the 18th century, processed and shipped south mainly for use in soap and glass production. The profits were to the benefit of the lairds, of course, rather than to those who farmed and processed it and who were paid a pittance. Often this work was a condition of their tenancy. The remains of their industry can still be seen on Papay but are rapidly eroding. Nowadays, there are production companies across the country harvesting seaweeds for use in the cosmetics, food and agriculture industries amongst others. The possibilities for sustainable ocean agriculture, growing seaweed as a crop, are myriad. Liptrot meets a fascinating variety of people involved in the study or processing of seaweeds, even attending a conference for phycologists. Scientists working on seaweed are macrophycologists. Her love of her subject and the lengths to which she goes to research it, not least swimming amongst it and eating it, shine through and are fascinating.
If you have read The Outrun, you will know of the author’s childhood on Orkney and her later struggles with addiction. She is a much stronger person now, settled with her partner and two small children, but she still has her demons. During her stay on Papay, her father dies. She writes about how she processes her grief at losing him, finding solace in her surroundings whilst she works through another difficult time. For me, this is perfectly balanced with the main theme of the book. Her love of nature produces beautiful prose and wonderful descriptions of the island and its natural world. I did laugh though when she quoted a local fisherman who, when describing the beautiful bays around the islands, said, Looks like the Caribbean, feels like the Arctic! If you live up here, you know exactly how accurate that is!
With thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for a review copy.
Seaweeds have their own names in Orcadian, including tang and tangles, hence the name of the book, though the word has several meanings in this context. Seaweed/ware was the basis of one of the biggest industries in the Scottish Highlands and Islands in the 18th century, processed and shipped south mainly for use in soap and glass production. The profits were to the benefit of the lairds, of course, rather than to those who farmed and processed it and who were paid a pittance. Often this work was a condition of their tenancy. The remains of their industry can still be seen on Papay but are rapidly eroding. Nowadays, there are production companies across the country harvesting seaweeds for use in the cosmetics, food and agriculture industries amongst others. The possibilities for sustainable ocean agriculture, growing seaweed as a crop, are myriad. Liptrot meets a fascinating variety of people involved in the study or processing of seaweeds, even attending a conference for phycologists. Scientists working on seaweed are macrophycologists. Her love of her subject and the lengths to which she goes to research it, not least swimming amongst it and eating it, shine through and are fascinating.
If you have read The Outrun, you will know of the author’s childhood on Orkney and her later struggles with addiction. She is a much stronger person now, settled with her partner and two small children, but she still has her demons. During her stay on Papay, her father dies. She writes about how she processes her grief at losing him, finding solace in her surroundings whilst she works through another difficult time. For me, this is perfectly balanced with the main theme of the book. Her love of nature produces beautiful prose and wonderful descriptions of the island and its natural world. I did laugh though when she quoted a local fisherman who, when describing the beautiful bays around the islands, said, Looks like the Caribbean, feels like the Arctic! If you live up here, you know exactly how accurate that is!
With thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for a review copy.
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