Raynor Winn, The Salt Path ****

The Salt Path is marketed as the inspirational story of an English couple who "lost everything and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path"; a British Wild. I found it to be something quite different from that. Winn rarely rhapsodizes about life-affirming nature or the healing power of physical endurance. Their impulsive decision to walk the 630-mile path was driven by a desire to postpone thinking about the future, not to bring themselves face-to-face with it. A big part of their motivation seems to be that the trip provides an admirable gloss on their homelessness. They are "wild camping" rather then "rough sleeping."

The South West Coast Path travels along the rugged Cornish coast and through popular tourist destinations. Winn describes the natural beauty but gives more attention to their personal challenges: hiking through pain, finding campsites, the logistics of surviving on an extremely limited budget. I appreciated seeing the vacation spots from their perspective as penniless outsiders.

Almost every decision the Winns make seems understandable but ill-advised. The husband has a degenerative illness that causes constant pain; their sleeping bags are inadequate; they spend their food budget on fudge and ice cream; they're never sure when to expect the next deposit to their accounts. Many readers find their poor judgment exasperating (a representative example), and they are not wrong. For some reason, I enjoyed the un-self-conscious way that Winn describes their adventures. She didn't seem to question whether she was torturing her husband or whether pasties and wine gums were the best dietary options. I could imagine knowing these people.