Hidden Valley - Finding freedom in Spain's deep country

The story of the real ''good life'' of an off-grid existence in rural Spain Paul Richardson fled the city to live on the land in a rough-and-tumble village on the edge of Europe. Immersing himself in the culture of his remote Spanish community, he learned the traditional arts of animal husbandry and vegetable growing, wine-making and home distilling, and made bread from the rye he sowed on the stone-walled terraces of his twelve-acre farm. In prose that shimmers with wit and sensuality, the author charts his personal route-map along a road less travelled - from urban pressures to rural tranquility, and from insecurity to fulfilment. Along the way he pays tribute to the influences that have shaped his progress - from The Good Life to Henry David Thoreau, from the 1970s pioneers to self-sufficiency to his farming neighbours in the far-flung region of Extremadura. In Richardson''s hands, off-grid living both becomes an act of rebellion and a heartening proof that a simpler, better life is possible, if only we can remove ourselves from the ethos in which conspicuous consumption is a duty and success/failure the wheel on which society turns. Hidden Valley is a glorious narrative of one man''s journey towards self-reliance. Original and thought-provoking, it is also hugely entertaining.

Product details

• Authors: PAUL RICHARDSON, Paul Richardson
• Publisher: Abacus
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 04.01.2024
• EAN: 9780349144795
• ISBN: 978-0-349-14479-5
• No. of pages: 288
• Dimensions: 126 mm x 198 mm x 18 mm
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Biographies, autobiographies; Travel; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs, COOKING / Regional & Ethnic / Spanish, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / Rural, Travel and holiday