While the Earth Holds its Breath - Embracing the winter season

A silver sea of gossamer rippling over an upland field, the work of tiny money spiders A woodpecker's maestro drumming performance in a wet winter woodlandThe diving antics of laser-eyed buzzardsThe hug of a small forest... Determined to overcome her winter anxiety, Helen Moat sets out into the darkness. Her discoveries begin at home, and then on across the world from the Arctic Circle to Asia. Along the way, she finds beauty in the small things that only winter can offer. Helen's quest to dispel her seasonal blues has its ups and downs; slowly, though, she learns not only to accept the darkness of winter, but to embrace it. When she travels to Lapland and Japan, their cultural and philosophical attitude to the season is a revelation. While the Earth Holds Its Breath nurtures resilience and determination, finding a joyous positivity that does not ignore the darkness, but finds something to love there.

About the author

Helen Moat is the author of A Time of Birds (Saraband, 2020), a travelogue of her journey across Europe, by bike, with her teenage son. She has also written multiple travel guides and is a regular contributor to Derbyshire Life, BBC Countryfile magazine, Wanderlust, a variety of websites, and to regional radio, as well as leading travel workshops and contributing to national newspapers and magazines. Originally from Northern Ireland, she lived in Derbyshire, in the heart of the Peak District National Park, for twenty-five years before moving to Angus, Scotland, where she now lives with her husband.

Product details

• Authors: Helen Moat, Moat Helen
• Publisher: Pan macmillan Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 21.10.2025
• EAN: 9781916812321
• ISBN: 978-1-916812-32-1
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 178 g
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > General; Non-fiction book > Nature, technology > Nature: general, reference works; Travel > Travelogues, traveller's tales; NATURE / General, TRAVEL / Essays & Travelogues, SELF-HELP / Mood Disorders / Depression, natural history, Travel writing, Holidays & seasonal interest, Seasonal interest: Winter, Coping with illness & specific conditions, Nature and the natural world: general interest