The Unwinding

by Jackie Morris

This book is not meant to be read from cover to cover. It is a book for dreamers. Slight of word, rich of image, its purpose is to ease the soul.

The paintings between these covers were worked in the between times, an unwinding of the soul, when the pressures of work were too much. Dreams and wishes are the inspiration at times like this. Threaded through the curious world of The Unwinding are words, slight and lyrical. Their aim is to set the reader s mind adrift from the troubles of our times, into peaceful harbours where imagination can stretch, where quiet reflection can bring peace.

The Unwinding is designed to be a companion, a talisman to be turned to again and again and a place of respite from an increasingly frantic and complex world.

Genres: Poetry, Fantasy, Art, Fiction, Short Stories, Childrens, Picture Books

180 pages, Hardcover

First published September 16, 2021

About the author

Jackie Morris lives in a small house on the Welsh coast. She wanted to be an artist from the earliest she could remember. After studying art at Hereford and Bath Academy she went on to illustrate for magazines and newspapers. She began her first book for children the week after her first child, Thomas was born and has gone on to illustrate and write many books.

Reviews

[The Literary Shed · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘In a world that is increasingly dark and aggressive, I think making beauty is an act of rebellion and that’s what I’m trying to do really,’ says author and illustrator Jackie Morris of The Unwindings. And she does it most successfully in this gorgeously produced book.

A pillow book, compact enough to be carried around, too, The Unwinding provides a much-needed respite for those of us who need to take a step back and calm our over active minds. It comprises Morris’s signature imaginative illustrations, a series of images which Morris created over the years, supported by thoughtful words, poems, fables, which capture our imaginations, spark our hopes, feed our dreams.

We’re great advocates of beautiful books. Of beautiful words, beautiful illustration, and whether you’re coming to Ms Morris’s work fresh or if you’re long-time fans, as we are, this is a lovely tome, a lovely concept. We recently waxed lyrical about Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse for reasons similar to why we like The Unwinding. Anything that makes you think, anything that helps you to dream, lose yourself, takes you out of the often challenging times we find ourselves in, anything that makes you feel better when the world is simply too much, is closing in, has to be celebrated.

Beauty is the balm we need to calm our troubled souls.

See: https://www.theliteraryshed.co.uk/rea...

This review was originally published as part of the virtual book tour. Many thanks to Anne Cater/Unbound for sending us a review copy. All opinions are our own. All rights reserved.

[Claire O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Ethereal. Dip in and out . The artwork is stunning.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uncategorisable art book of lullabies for adults is how I might pitch this. It's designed to zone you out last thing at night, and we're told the artworks – illustrations for then-unwritten stories – came first. So we start with a kind of librarian and dream collector, with her polar bear friend, then encounter a woman with a gilt wooden hare on wheels as a companion. You think to find a pattern with a woman almost dreaming into existence a flying fish for her to spend time with, but then we find that in fact these characters have the willpower to return, to revisit these pages and touch them with, well, whatever it is you think they bring.

Other similarly dream-like things turn up, such as a strange boat, and a frost queen-type character, but the whole piece is a soothing, poetic melange of the unshowy showiness of the remarkably undramatic and dramatically unremarkable dreamscape. Throughout the craft in the art and design is top notch, as I expected having encountered this creator elsewhere. It's just that I can't quite say things did it for me. You do have to be on board for the slightly incoherent – lawks knows what people would make if they stumbled on the sister, "Silent" edition that has the artwork only and not the script. But have the correct mindset to 'use' this book, be accepting of all that it can offer and you will relish every page-turn, forwards or back. I love the fact that books like this can exist, I just didn't feel the love for this specific one.

[Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations

[Peg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small book is designed to keep on your bedside table to read after a hard day. The author says in her introduction: "....Slight of word, rich of image, its purpose is to ease the soul." And it does just that with its few words and gorgeous illustrations. The few words are lyrical and there are just fragments of a story in each small section leaving lots to your imagination, affecting your feelings and dreams. The illustrations have a cold landscape but, believe me, the words will warm your heart.

What a talented writer and illustrator! So very beautifully done!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Unbound, a crowdfunded publisher. I did not contribute to get this book published. This is my honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork, alone, is reason to buy this book. From the gentle lush art of “The Lost Words” to that of this poetic laze in nature, the art transcends. Dreamy, as intended, we enjoy quiet nature and some of the forest denizens within. Meditative and settling.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This incredibly beautiful book is a gift for the reader. The illustrations are ethreal and the stories reminiscent of folk tales from every culture. It is soothing, encompassing, and one to revisit again and again.

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful little book for dipping into - mostly images, some words and plenty of dreaming.

This is the first book by Unbound publishing that I have supported (crowd-funded publisher).

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think everything jackie morris touches turns to the most breathtakingly beautiful thing and this is no exception

[Șiman Daria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This book is not meant to be read from cover to cover. It is a book for dreamers. Slight of word, rich of image, it's purpose is to ease the soul." It is a gift to find a book that will sit on your night stand all year, to be dipped into, to slip away with, to find solace and beauty with. I first saw Jackie Morris' incredible artwork when she co-authored and illustrated Lost Spells with Robert Macfarlane. This is just as beautiful, but more ethereal. Every page in here is exquisite and evocative. The art is gorgeous, the verse is lyrical and feels like a dream.

"You will know they followed the scent,
stopped for a moment to gather your
thread to weave, wind and scribe,
colour your dream into their
Library of Lost Dreams and
Half-Imagined Things.

And you will know that before
they travelled on, she left you this gift.
A book of dreams."

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often say I want to live in a certain book or a song or even a voice but now I have finally found the one. Jackie Morris, who illustrated Robert Macfarlane’s gorgeous ‘The Lost Words’, has created an entire book of her watercolours of dreamings, full of strange beauty, animals and poetry: moonbows, a foxes’ wedding, a Library of Lost Dreams and Half-Imagined Things.

“She whispered into the ear of the dreaming bear.

If I said that my love for you was
like the spaces between the notes of a wren’s song,
would you understand?
Would you perceive my love to be, therefore,
hardly present, almost nothing?”

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunningly beautiful book!

From the sublime artwork, to the magical words, this is just one of those books that you can dip in and out of and feel a comforting hug from every page! I was lucky enough to be one of those pledging to have this book published via Unbound, and it hasn't disappointed!!

It's an exploration of the magical and mystical, in nature and dreams and just makes you feel extremely calm and peaceful reading it. Love it!!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful book. This would be perfect to read during the winter months, I definitely plan on re-reading this book this year as Christmas time approaches. This book would be a wonderful read on Christmas Eve, or whenever it snows.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alchemy of the soul.

[Chrystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book 10 stars if I could. I found it very touching and beautiful and magical.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If you wake to the light to find beside your bed a book, then you will know that before they travelled on, they left you this gift-a book of dreams.”

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful it made me want to cry. Ethereal and otherworldly.

[Lesebiene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richtig schöne kleine Passagen, Geschichten und vor allem wundervolle Bilder, die eben diese begleiten. Ein tolles kleines Büchlein perfekt für die Winterzeit und einfach schön anzusehen. 💛

[Al Riske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreamy

[Alexis Spring · Rating 5 out of 5]

“what are the shapes of your dreams?”☁️💫🪐✨
beautiful, poetic, and every good thing imaginable.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will definitely return to this when I need inspiration or dreams. Beautiful art. Mysterious words.

[Kara Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, atmospheric, ethereal. The artwork is stunning. I read in a review that “beauty is the balm we need to calm our troubled souls.” This book is a prefect example. I wholeheartedly recommend reading this absolutely stunning book.

Here are the quotes I loved

“When they spoke, the bear and the woman, it was often in questions. 'What are the shape of your dreams?' she asked him. 'What do you mean?' he replied. 'Many things in one question... what is the language of your dreams? and, when you dream, do you dream in words, images? and, when you dream, are your dreams colour, black and white, or colours only known to dreamers? are they visions, or something else?' He asked, 'something else?' 'Are they chemical, scent, touch? What shape do your dreams take? Do they have narrative, or are they abstract?' He closed his eyes, became lost in thought. For a while there was silence but for the sounds of birds, the soft breath of hares, a stir of winter leaves.”

“Do you dream when you are awake? do you imagine in words, in images? do you wander the pathways of what might have been, what might yet be and all that you might become? what is the shape of your imagination? are dreams important to you, part of the pattern of your soul?' 'Why do you wish to know?' he replied. For a long time she searched her heart for an answer. 'To better understand the geography of my heart' how it fits with the pattern of yours,' she said.”

“And, sometimes, such stories, dreams, can only be told in questions, can only be found in answers.”

“Rest now, in the peace of the wild things. May the swan be your pillow, may the gold owl bring you visions. May the red fox gift you cunning, and the wolf bring you courage. And may the white horse lend her strength to all your days.”

“She whispered into the ear of the dreaming bear. If I said that my love for you was like the spaces between the notes of a wren's song, would you understand? Would you perceive my love to be, therefore, hardly present, almost nothing?”

“Or would you feel how my love is wrapped around by the richest, the wildest song? And, if I said my love for you is like the time when the nightingale is absent from our twilight world, would you hear it as silence? Nothing? No love? Or as anticipation of that rich current of music, which fills heart, soul, body, mind.”

“And, if I said my love for you is like the hare's breath, would you feel it to be transient? So slight a thing? Or would you see it as life-giving? Wild? A thing that fills the blood, and sets the hare running.”

[Mirabella. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful poetic language, stories like song of the golden hare, the paintings for keeper of lost dreams just sing to me. I bookmarked the following ;

And so it seemed to her that he had
always been a part of the landscape
Of her life, this great white bear.
She brought him rosehips to sweeten
his days, tried to explain how, once
they had been flowers, but now we’re
seeds. He had never seen a rose.
He told her stories, coloured with
every shade of white, and spoke of a sky
that danced with lights.
She felt that he understood how the
world began, how it might end.
And even before they met, he had
walked in her dreams.

I read this every day, in the afternoons when I’ve been on the screen too long, or am strained and in despair, get out of your rational, practical and strategic mindset, if you are the sort of person who has to work in an office. I’m not, so I get my friend to read it when she finishes her work day. It’s important to lull out of all that screen and stress into something more emotional, poetic and sacred. Connecting to the natural world and its rhythms especially; Leave it all behind for awhile. I love all Jackie Morris’s poetic fables [books] and their paintings. I highly recommend too her book ‘east of the sun, west of the moon’ if you enjoy the stories of the bear and girl. I’m sure that book changed my life as did this one. Very very treasured books in my collection, high quality and just the right size to carry everywhere.

[Callum McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Morris’s collaborations with Macfarlane hint ever so subtly at something magical, here she leans fully into it. A series of vignettes crafted in text and watercolour, The Unwinding is best described less as a short story collection, and more as a series of dreams rendered on paper. You shouldn’t expect a rounded narrative arc or in-depth development, but you certainly can expect stunning artwork that evokes enchanting worlds, enigmatic characters, and an ethereal atmosphere. This elusive beauty is perfect for stimulating the imagination.

The text we do get is simple yet charming; little pieces of flash fiction that read like a blend of prose poetry and magical realism. This tone is perfectly suited to the dreamlike quality of the visuals. The introduction itself explains that this text is merely intended as a jumping off point, however; one of many possible scenarios involving the vivid characters, settings, and lore hinted at in the artwork. Indeed, it is Morris’s hope that everyone will find their own meaning and interpret their own stories from the images, just as we would our dreams.

Each page is a treasure trove of sumptuous detail, cementing Morris as one of my favourite artists. I know I won’t be able to resist dipping in and out of this one regularly.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been dipping into this one for a while now, and I don't think that I will stop anytime soon. It is a lovely book; exquisite in production, and very calming. This isn't a novel, or a short story. As the inside of the dust jacket says,
"This book is not meant to be read from cover to cover. It is a book for dreamers. Slight of word, rich in image, its purpose is to ease the soul."
It is a small book, in size, but it certainly lives up to the statement quoted above. I have a few books by Jackie Morris now, and she is certainly one of my favourite illustrators around. Her paintings truly have a magical, fairytale-esque quality to them. They are so beautiful, they could easily be hung as art on your walls (not that I could/would ever justify tearing a book to pieces).
A lovely little book - one to be kept near to hand, so that you can enjoy the treasure between the pages when you need it most.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful, I can barely describe in words and in one review, as this is a feast for the imagination and the soul, something that words fail to capture, and yet somehow Jackie morris achieves it. Her illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and her poetry is dreamy, ethereal. The theme of snowy hills, home to dancing foxes, talking bears and flying fish, often present in the book, transport me back to the backdrop of my childhood in a cold prairie environment. The light of the pale afternoon sun in January, the full moon shining over snow. Whenever I feel homesick this book is like medicine for my soul, a time capsule machine, a precious glimpse into childhood dreams. How Jackie morris got into my head and brought to life what feels like my own personal dreams and memories, in this one book, I do not know.

[Cindy Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this one - it is a poetic and illustrated book that is meant to be savored. Everything about this book is gorgeous! I became familiar with Jackie Morris’s work because of “The Lost Words” and “The Lost Spells” (both of which she lovingly illustrated), and I was thrilled to learn that that Morris has her own books - written and illustrated by her. I love that her work feels like a fairytale unfolding. The introduction tells you that this is a book for dreamers, so I was immediately sold. It is always wonderful to find authors/artists that just seem to get you. People that you are sure are kindred spirits because there work speaks to you so well. I want all her books now! I also love that this book was crowdfunded, and the donors are listed in the back of the book.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. As it says at the beginning, it is not to be read straight through. I hopped around through it, sometimes repeatedly reading stories and poems and sometimes finding new ones. I read this before bed or during a break in the day. The illustrations are beautiful. An excellent book to calm down and take some time for yourself.

One of my favorite paragraphs: “Does she know how the owl who guarded their dreams once was a woman made from flowers on a hillside — broom, meadowsweet and oak — to be a wife to one, but longed for another and was punished by those who failed to understand that a woman might prefer the freedom of flight, the night, the hunt, to the life of a wife?”

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated and wonderfully dreamy book. This is not meant to sit on a bookshelf and collect dust but to reside in a place of honor on your nightstand so it's always at hand when you need inspiration for dreams.

Note: This book is published by Unbound, a crowdfunded publisher. I did provide financial support to help this book get published but I did not know what the final product would look like. I also do NOT receive financial compensation for sales or reviews. My review is my own.