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The Flow: Rivers, Water and Wildness
A visit to the rapid where she lost a cherished friend unexpectedly reignites Amy-Jane Beer’s love of rivers setting her on a journey of natural, cultural and emotional discovery.
On New Year’s Day 2012, Amy-Jane Beer’s beloved friend Kate set out with a group of others to kayak the River Rawthey in Cumbria. Kate never came home, and her death left her devoted family and friends bereft and unmoored.
Returning to visit the Rawthey years later, Amy realises how much she misses the connection to the natural world she always felt when on or close to rivers, and so begins a new phase of exploration.
The Flow is a book about water, and, like water, it meanders, cascades and percolates through many lives, landscapes and stories. From West Country torrents to Levels and Fens, rocky Welsh canyons, the salmon highways of Scotland and the chalk rivers of the Yorkshire Wolds, Amy-Jane follows springs, streams and rivers to explore tributary themes of wildness and wonder, loss and healing, mythology and history, cyclicity and transformation.
Threading together places and voices from across Britain, The Flow is a profound, immersive exploration of our personal and ecological place in nature.
On New Year’s Day 2012, Amy-Jane Beer’s beloved friend Kate set out with a group of others to kayak the River Rawthey in Cumbria. Kate never came home, and her death left her devoted family and friends bereft and unmoored.
Returning to visit the Rawthey years later, Amy realises how much she misses the connection to the natural world she always felt when on or close to rivers, and so begins a new phase of exploration.
The Flow is a book about water, and, like water, it meanders, cascades and percolates through many lives, landscapes and stories. From West Country torrents to Levels and Fens, rocky Welsh canyons, the salmon highways of Scotland and the chalk rivers of the Yorkshire Wolds, Amy-Jane follows springs, streams and rivers to explore tributary themes of wildness and wonder, loss and healing, mythology and history, cyclicity and transformation.
Threading together places and voices from across Britain, The Flow is a profound, immersive exploration of our personal and ecological place in nature.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 4, 2022
94 people are currently reading
1360 people want to read
About the author
Amy-Jane Beer
61 books21 followersAmy-Jane Beer is a biologist and writer. She has written more than 30 books about science and natural history including Cool Nature and The A-Z of Wildlife Watching. She has also edited a number of wildlife publications including Animals, Animals, Animals and Wildlife World magazine.
The natural sciences have been a lifelong fascination for her, and her childhood enthusiasm was formalised at Royal Holloway University of London, where she graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Biology, then spent years squinting down a microscope and fretting over the welfare of a tank full of sea urchin larvae to earn a PhD.
The natural sciences have been a lifelong fascination for her, and her childhood enthusiasm was formalised at Royal Holloway University of London, where she graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Biology, then spent years squinting down a microscope and fretting over the welfare of a tank full of sea urchin larvae to earn a PhD.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 8, 2023
3.5 stars
This was good but not as good as I expected it to be. I think it suffered from a lack of effective editing, coming in a little too long at nearly 400 pages. There are only so many times you can read about someone looking at, wild swimming in or analysing certain bodies of water. My mind certainly drifted in the last few chapters if I'm honest.
It's nice that the book is a dedication to Beer's friend Kate who tragically died kayaking in rapids, but this is only a slight backdrop to the meanderings of Beer round the UK to different rivers, ponds, waterfalls etc. There are plenty of topics; ecological discussions, climate and wildlife change references, pollution mentions and riparian land ownership dissections. It is interesting to a point, but disappointingly not one I'd return to re-read.
This was good but not as good as I expected it to be. I think it suffered from a lack of effective editing, coming in a little too long at nearly 400 pages. There are only so many times you can read about someone looking at, wild swimming in or analysing certain bodies of water. My mind certainly drifted in the last few chapters if I'm honest.
It's nice that the book is a dedication to Beer's friend Kate who tragically died kayaking in rapids, but this is only a slight backdrop to the meanderings of Beer round the UK to different rivers, ponds, waterfalls etc. There are plenty of topics; ecological discussions, climate and wildlife change references, pollution mentions and riparian land ownership dissections. It is interesting to a point, but disappointingly not one I'd return to re-read.
November 15, 2023
Not quite sure what to think of this - some lovely moments and interesting facts about the cultural history and environmental importance of waterways and their inhabitants, but not an entirely satisfying book either. Disjointed and mildly boring at times.
August 10, 2024
A near perfect book. Part memoir; travelogue; adventure story; natural history text; etymological reference and ode to water. Dive in: You won't be disappointed.
August 23, 2024
what a lovely meandering little novel, by a woman who wants what’s best for the planet and (while opinionated) is also open to the fact that what’s best is nuanced and complicated and messy. i don’t know how to describe how reading this made me feel, but it tugged me in from the first page and i loved every second.
(4.5 stars rounded up)
“Some of that drizzle we walked through earlier— freshly condensed in the air above us— has already gone on below, on its way to becoming something else. Seeping, washing, leaching, dissolving, depositing, freezing, or vaporizing. It has no destination, only spaces and forms it passes through, and the occasional organic or mineral partners, any of which might sit out the dance for a matter of hours or billions of years, before the water whisks them back into play. Into recreation. Nothing is new. It is all recycled in an endless process of wearing and mending and making do.
And then I’m back in my body looking at the boy who came to life inside me, whose molecules assembled from mine but which really came from rock and water and sunlight and air. And I run out of words.”
(4.5 stars rounded up)
“Some of that drizzle we walked through earlier— freshly condensed in the air above us— has already gone on below, on its way to becoming something else. Seeping, washing, leaching, dissolving, depositing, freezing, or vaporizing. It has no destination, only spaces and forms it passes through, and the occasional organic or mineral partners, any of which might sit out the dance for a matter of hours or billions of years, before the water whisks them back into play. Into recreation. Nothing is new. It is all recycled in an endless process of wearing and mending and making do.
And then I’m back in my body looking at the boy who came to life inside me, whose molecules assembled from mine but which really came from rock and water and sunlight and air. And I run out of words.”
January 24, 2025
My daughter bought me this book as a gift so it is a 5 star from me. She knows that water renews and heals me so what a compassionate thing to buy someone.
March 16, 2023
An eye opening and fascinating trip into the world of rivers, and a passionate call to action.
It’s further fuelled my sense of responsibility to take care of the environment lest we lose it forever - and I mean this sentiment as praise of the writing!
It’s further fuelled my sense of responsibility to take care of the environment lest we lose it forever - and I mean this sentiment as praise of the writing!
October 14, 2023
A really interesting book, made even better by the fact that it is narrated by the author - highly recommend the audiobook version.
January 2, 2024
This book is good for the environment. This book will nurture your soul.
April 3, 2024
What a joy to be lost in rivers for the last week.
April 27, 2024
Don’t fight it,
Ride it.
Ride it.
August 14, 2024
Wonderful in all senses.
August 22, 2024
Beautifully written. A journey through rivers and stories, with some interesting observations and characters. It instills a need to visit and swim in some of the locations mentioned.
October 21, 2024
Dit is haar relaas van haar tocht naar, langs en door verschillende rivieren en stromen in Groot-Brittannië.
Ik vind niet altijd aansluiting bij wat, en vooral hoe, deze auteur (in) dit boek heeft geschreven. Ik moest soms een passage meer dan eens herlezen om het te begrijpen. Soms was de tekst een beetje technisch, dan weer enorm uitgebreid, en verloor ik onderweg mijn houvast. Ik heb dus ongetwijfeld hier en daar iets gemist.
Maar dan, af en toe, is er die flikker van herkenning, ja van ontroering zelfs, wanneer ze de inspanning beschrijft die sommige mensen doen om de natuur in hun zo oorspronkelijke staat mogelijk te herstellen.
Want vergis u niet, dit boek gaat over wat de mens en de overheid in de loop van jaren en eeuwen met de natuur en in het bijzonder het water in de natuur, hebben uitgestoken. Rechttrekken van waterlopen, betonneren van omgevingen, het rooien van bomen langs de waterlijn waardoor het water opwarmt, het rechtstreeks lozen van vervuild water in de rivieren ... En dan zijn er die paar mensen die het tij proberen te keren, stapje voor stapje. En voor die moedige mensen die deze problemen op een positieve manier willen aanpakken heb ik een eindeloos respect.
Wanneer ik dit boek las, leek het mij toch dat de situatie in de UK toch nog een stukje erger is dan hier. Dat had ik ook bij het lezen van "De Voedselfuik". Het lijkt me dat wij op gebied van natuurbehoud en op gebied van voedsel toch een aantal regels meer hebben waar aan moet voldaan worden, al een stapje verder zitten in de goede richting wat betreft natuurbehoud en -herstel. Het mag en moet natuurlijk nog altijd meer! Er zijn te veel politieke partijen die dit allemaal maar bijzaak vinden. (denk maar aan de nieuwe Vlaamse regering :-( )
En dat is het voordeel van Europa. Het wordt ook gevraagd dat we zorg dragen voor de natuur. Gelukkig maar, véél schiet er niet meer over.
Ik vind niet altijd aansluiting bij wat, en vooral hoe, deze auteur (in) dit boek heeft geschreven. Ik moest soms een passage meer dan eens herlezen om het te begrijpen. Soms was de tekst een beetje technisch, dan weer enorm uitgebreid, en verloor ik onderweg mijn houvast. Ik heb dus ongetwijfeld hier en daar iets gemist.
Maar dan, af en toe, is er die flikker van herkenning, ja van ontroering zelfs, wanneer ze de inspanning beschrijft die sommige mensen doen om de natuur in hun zo oorspronkelijke staat mogelijk te herstellen.
Want vergis u niet, dit boek gaat over wat de mens en de overheid in de loop van jaren en eeuwen met de natuur en in het bijzonder het water in de natuur, hebben uitgestoken. Rechttrekken van waterlopen, betonneren van omgevingen, het rooien van bomen langs de waterlijn waardoor het water opwarmt, het rechtstreeks lozen van vervuild water in de rivieren ... En dan zijn er die paar mensen die het tij proberen te keren, stapje voor stapje. En voor die moedige mensen die deze problemen op een positieve manier willen aanpakken heb ik een eindeloos respect.
Wanneer ik dit boek las, leek het mij toch dat de situatie in de UK toch nog een stukje erger is dan hier. Dat had ik ook bij het lezen van "De Voedselfuik". Het lijkt me dat wij op gebied van natuurbehoud en op gebied van voedsel toch een aantal regels meer hebben waar aan moet voldaan worden, al een stapje verder zitten in de goede richting wat betreft natuurbehoud en -herstel. Het mag en moet natuurlijk nog altijd meer! Er zijn te veel politieke partijen die dit allemaal maar bijzaak vinden. (denk maar aan de nieuwe Vlaamse regering :-( )
En dat is het voordeel van Europa. Het wordt ook gevraagd dat we zorg dragen voor de natuur. Gelukkig maar, véél schiet er niet meer over.
December 17, 2024
A beautiful, inspiring and courageous read.
Beer describes water as a bit of a freak amongst the compound elements. It does things that other compounds find impossible. For Beer, water is something to be loved and feared. As a kayaker, she knows water well and can read and understand it in a way few of us are privileged to imitate.
Combine her water wisdom with her connections to the natural world, the physics, power, and spirituality of water, and the history of our waterways, and you have an exceptional book.
Her stay on the Glenfishie Estate is beyond magical. Her description of water as "the dominant force" on the estate is counterbalanced by her respect for the water and the wilderness through which it flows, also shown by the mildly eccentric people she meets in a lone bothie far removed from the Covid obsession enjoyed by the rest of the country.
I am lucky enough to live not far from Beer (although I never knew it until I read her chapter on the River Derwent, one of the main rivers in North Yorkshire). I am afraid we take rivers in Ryedale for granted a bit too much (until, like last weekend, the River Rye flooded our village, but with all hands to the pumps, we ensured the water stayed out of the houses).
Beer takes us on a journey down the Derwent from its source to the sea. I love this chapter, with its descriptions of the river and its surrounds, as much as I love the train journey from Malton to York, part of which runs alongside the Derwent River valley by Kirkham Priory (recently beautifully engraved by Anna Matyus). However, I am embarrassed and ashamed about how little I know about the river.
Research using an OS map and W3W enabled me to locate the river's source from Beer's description. I hope to walk up there in the summer.
Beer writes most of the book calmly and balancedly. Without being overly evangelical, she allows her love of water and nature to shine through. However, she writes passionately and angrily about the pollution and misuse of our rivers, quite rightly and unsurprisingly for one for whom water has been her life. Her chapter entitled "The Mucky Beck" is disheartening, although good seems about to emerge from even this disaster.
Not many authors can combine the psychology, spirituality and science of the natural world into a single book. Beer does it superbly, and I have no hesitation in giving this book the five stars it deserves.
Beer describes water as a bit of a freak amongst the compound elements. It does things that other compounds find impossible. For Beer, water is something to be loved and feared. As a kayaker, she knows water well and can read and understand it in a way few of us are privileged to imitate.
Combine her water wisdom with her connections to the natural world, the physics, power, and spirituality of water, and the history of our waterways, and you have an exceptional book.
Her stay on the Glenfishie Estate is beyond magical. Her description of water as "the dominant force" on the estate is counterbalanced by her respect for the water and the wilderness through which it flows, also shown by the mildly eccentric people she meets in a lone bothie far removed from the Covid obsession enjoyed by the rest of the country.
I am lucky enough to live not far from Beer (although I never knew it until I read her chapter on the River Derwent, one of the main rivers in North Yorkshire). I am afraid we take rivers in Ryedale for granted a bit too much (until, like last weekend, the River Rye flooded our village, but with all hands to the pumps, we ensured the water stayed out of the houses).
Beer takes us on a journey down the Derwent from its source to the sea. I love this chapter, with its descriptions of the river and its surrounds, as much as I love the train journey from Malton to York, part of which runs alongside the Derwent River valley by Kirkham Priory (recently beautifully engraved by Anna Matyus). However, I am embarrassed and ashamed about how little I know about the river.
Research using an OS map and W3W enabled me to locate the river's source from Beer's description. I hope to walk up there in the summer.
Beer writes most of the book calmly and balancedly. Without being overly evangelical, she allows her love of water and nature to shine through. However, she writes passionately and angrily about the pollution and misuse of our rivers, quite rightly and unsurprisingly for one for whom water has been her life. Her chapter entitled "The Mucky Beck" is disheartening, although good seems about to emerge from even this disaster.
Not many authors can combine the psychology, spirituality and science of the natural world into a single book. Beer does it superbly, and I have no hesitation in giving this book the five stars it deserves.
February 5, 2024
It was harder to read this book that I thought.
We started with the wrong foot, when in the first chapter I read this about water "...The hydrogens carry a slightly negative charge, while the oxygen is positive...". No, it's the exact opposite. It's oxygen that carries a (partial) negative charge, not only in water but in every molecule. Oxygen, never, ever, has a positive charge, and the author, a biologist, should know better.
I was a bit apprehensive after that, I was worried that this mistake would be i dicative for the rest of the book. It wasn't, fortunately, but that doesn't mean that I had a walk in the park reading it.
One of the problems was that I am not familiar with the UK towns and rivers and all the local names (even though I've been living in West Yorkshire for the past 7 years and 8 in total in the UK) and it was hard to resonate some times. The other problem was that it was a bit tiring at moments, too many details, to many almost recurring details.
I enjoyed the second half of the book more, when the author started the discussion about conservation and rewilding and the challenges and opportunities to do so.
A quite interesting book overall.
PS. Some more editing would have worked wonders!
We started with the wrong foot, when in the first chapter I read this about water "...The hydrogens carry a slightly negative charge, while the oxygen is positive...". No, it's the exact opposite. It's oxygen that carries a (partial) negative charge, not only in water but in every molecule. Oxygen, never, ever, has a positive charge, and the author, a biologist, should know better.
I was a bit apprehensive after that, I was worried that this mistake would be i dicative for the rest of the book. It wasn't, fortunately, but that doesn't mean that I had a walk in the park reading it.
One of the problems was that I am not familiar with the UK towns and rivers and all the local names (even though I've been living in West Yorkshire for the past 7 years and 8 in total in the UK) and it was hard to resonate some times. The other problem was that it was a bit tiring at moments, too many details, to many almost recurring details.
I enjoyed the second half of the book more, when the author started the discussion about conservation and rewilding and the challenges and opportunities to do so.
A quite interesting book overall.
PS. Some more editing would have worked wonders!
June 28, 2024
This is an interesting look at water courses in the UK, where rivers start, the potential knock-on effects of cloud seeding (deliberate actions to affect weather) by using the devastating floods at Lynmouth as an example.
I particularly liked the chapter on the Hogsmill as I used to live and work near it so I knew the museum curator that she spoke to and I recognised the landmarks.
The book talks about the railway system introduced by George Hudson and the fact that it was completed within a year which I compared wryly to our inability to construct similar infrastructure projects in such an efficient manner these days (namely HS2).
The right to roam and access to rivers is really well illustrated by the selfish acts of Humphrey Smith of Tadcaster, who, during the floods of 2015, refused to allow a temporary bridge giving access for half the residents to the main part of the town after the original bridge was washed away to be erected on the land owned by his company Samuel Smith Brewery.
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/...
The author does acknowledge the friction between the different types of river users but believes that this shouldn't mean not giving access to them and as anyone who has read The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes knows, only 3% of our rivers in England are accessible to the public.
I also found the bit about the colour blue interesting and learnt that on Venus the days are longer than the years!
I particularly liked the chapter on the Hogsmill as I used to live and work near it so I knew the museum curator that she spoke to and I recognised the landmarks.
The book talks about the railway system introduced by George Hudson and the fact that it was completed within a year which I compared wryly to our inability to construct similar infrastructure projects in such an efficient manner these days (namely HS2).
The right to roam and access to rivers is really well illustrated by the selfish acts of Humphrey Smith of Tadcaster, who, during the floods of 2015, refused to allow a temporary bridge giving access for half the residents to the main part of the town after the original bridge was washed away to be erected on the land owned by his company Samuel Smith Brewery.
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/...
The author does acknowledge the friction between the different types of river users but believes that this shouldn't mean not giving access to them and as anyone who has read The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes knows, only 3% of our rivers in England are accessible to the public.
I also found the bit about the colour blue interesting and learnt that on Venus the days are longer than the years!
March 21, 2024
The Flow, by Amy-Jane Beer.
The story takes the reader on a journey across Britain to discover the unique properties of water.
Written in a story/documentary style brings an understanding of the importance of water: the most precious commodity on the planet.
The adrenaline fuelled beauty of rivers, from wild raging rapids to the deep stillness of a pool, to the tiny rivulets seeping through crevices in the unseen wild places in our woodlands and mountain regions.
A story of remembrance, where a dear friend lost their life in the pursuit of their dreams, doing a sport they loved, kayaking. A meander through time: where a scientific study of our waterways, drainage systems and the pollution from sewage both farmland and industry reveals its correlation with our countryside, woodlands, towns and cities.
Fascinating and informative in its narrative. A masterfully written story made this a compelling read for me.
The overall theme in the book is a celebration of the clear humble liquid we all love and undeniably need for our own and the natural world’s survival- Water, glorious water in all its natural forms.
The story takes the reader on a journey across Britain to discover the unique properties of water.
Written in a story/documentary style brings an understanding of the importance of water: the most precious commodity on the planet.
The adrenaline fuelled beauty of rivers, from wild raging rapids to the deep stillness of a pool, to the tiny rivulets seeping through crevices in the unseen wild places in our woodlands and mountain regions.
A story of remembrance, where a dear friend lost their life in the pursuit of their dreams, doing a sport they loved, kayaking. A meander through time: where a scientific study of our waterways, drainage systems and the pollution from sewage both farmland and industry reveals its correlation with our countryside, woodlands, towns and cities.
Fascinating and informative in its narrative. A masterfully written story made this a compelling read for me.
The overall theme in the book is a celebration of the clear humble liquid we all love and undeniably need for our own and the natural world’s survival- Water, glorious water in all its natural forms.
October 18, 2023
Beer’s epic memoir begins in some of my favourite mountains, the Howgills, but it concerns a tragedy, and how she almost fell out of love with rivers.
Though the initial chapters concern grief, this is a celebration of rivers, as well as acting as a timely warning, which come over as political, that we must take action to recover many of them to a healthy state.
She writes that rivers are capable of bringing both life and death, that they possess magic and mysteries that science has yet to comprehend.
Beer uses unmissable descriptions of the environments she discusses, so that the content is informative, moving, and always entertaining. Her descriptions clearly show that rivers, that were historical highways through our wildernesses, whose water has always interacted with, and shaped the land and its inhabitants, must continue to do so.
It is high quality writing on nature and our environment which many of our politicians and administrators would do well to read and take on board.
Though the initial chapters concern grief, this is a celebration of rivers, as well as acting as a timely warning, which come over as political, that we must take action to recover many of them to a healthy state.
She writes that rivers are capable of bringing both life and death, that they possess magic and mysteries that science has yet to comprehend.
Beer uses unmissable descriptions of the environments she discusses, so that the content is informative, moving, and always entertaining. Her descriptions clearly show that rivers, that were historical highways through our wildernesses, whose water has always interacted with, and shaped the land and its inhabitants, must continue to do so.
It is high quality writing on nature and our environment which many of our politicians and administrators would do well to read and take on board.
April 21, 2025
I have had great success with Wainwright Prize winners and this is another one of those. I thoroughly enjoyed the listen and the subject.
The author has a lovely way of writing, kind of warm and comforting and very lyrical in the best possible way at times. I found myself listening intently.
I knew it was going to be a journey when the book started with the death of her friend Kate, who lost her life doing what she loved most: kayaking. From there I went on an exploration with Amy to explore waterways and what they mean for us, for nature and the landscape. I thoroughly enjoyed being on this journey with her.
This is very much my kind of non-fiction book. Personal, reflective, and curious, connecting to nature and seeing the beauty in our world.
A very beautiful exploration of rivers and in extension: life. One of my favourite reads of the year.
The author has a lovely way of writing, kind of warm and comforting and very lyrical in the best possible way at times. I found myself listening intently.
I knew it was going to be a journey when the book started with the death of her friend Kate, who lost her life doing what she loved most: kayaking. From there I went on an exploration with Amy to explore waterways and what they mean for us, for nature and the landscape. I thoroughly enjoyed being on this journey with her.
This is very much my kind of non-fiction book. Personal, reflective, and curious, connecting to nature and seeing the beauty in our world.
A very beautiful exploration of rivers and in extension: life. One of my favourite reads of the year.
May 12, 2024
Audiobook.
Amy loses a friend on a kayak trip. This sets her on a mission to look into rivers and landscapes. It contains historical events of floods, science of water, rivers and canals, mythological creatures and their histories, and Amy’s adventures to finding sources of rivers, swimming in rivers. To the ecological and environmental cares and carelessnesses - where activities have been done well to restore areas and wildlife, to where we are being unnecessarily wasteful and neglectful of our waterways.
Absolutely fascinating.
So many places I’ve been to and can picture with fond memories (although mine walking alongside rather than on the water or swimming in it!).
Well narrated. I really enjoyed it.
Amy loses a friend on a kayak trip. This sets her on a mission to look into rivers and landscapes. It contains historical events of floods, science of water, rivers and canals, mythological creatures and their histories, and Amy’s adventures to finding sources of rivers, swimming in rivers. To the ecological and environmental cares and carelessnesses - where activities have been done well to restore areas and wildlife, to where we are being unnecessarily wasteful and neglectful of our waterways.
Absolutely fascinating.
So many places I’ve been to and can picture with fond memories (although mine walking alongside rather than on the water or swimming in it!).
Well narrated. I really enjoyed it.
April 15, 2024
The flow by Amy Jane Beer is a beautiful ode to the rivers and waterways in the U.K. Its exigence is a story of tragedy: the drowning of a dear friend. The book is a well-crafted narrative on Beer’s eventual return to the water and her reflections on the people and places that surround that water. Each chapter features a different location and the Eddy section before each chapter describes an appropriate phenomenon or term related to how water moves.
Beer is a seasoned journalist and writer, so as much as I am not well versed in British waterways, her writing is effortless and I loved the local stories and folklore that are entwined in this work of non-fiction.
Beer is a seasoned journalist and writer, so as much as I am not well versed in British waterways, her writing is effortless and I loved the local stories and folklore that are entwined in this work of non-fiction.
August 15, 2024
I listened to this on audiobook but DNF'd at about 30%.
I was intrigued by the blurb and I was looking forward to hearing about the author returning back to nature and the rivers and overcoming her grief for her dead friend.
But this book was also filled with a lot of geology and went on about oxygen particles, how the river flows, scientific terms and such. I found these parts a bit boring. I was all for the rivers and nature, but it went a bit too intense.
Great if you want to learn about that, but this was not what I thought it was going to be and I wasn't ready to listen to this at this time.
2.5/5 stars for me I'm afraid.
I was intrigued by the blurb and I was looking forward to hearing about the author returning back to nature and the rivers and overcoming her grief for her dead friend.
But this book was also filled with a lot of geology and went on about oxygen particles, how the river flows, scientific terms and such. I found these parts a bit boring. I was all for the rivers and nature, but it went a bit too intense.
Great if you want to learn about that, but this was not what I thought it was going to be and I wasn't ready to listen to this at this time.
2.5/5 stars for me I'm afraid.
August 16, 2024
3.5
After a powerful start it meandered so gently that I put it to one side after about 100 pages and came back to it.
The writing is very strong and engaging in places, some things just seem to have been included arbitrarily though and I agree with others that it could have been shorter.
On occasion there were words used that were so obscure they can only have been to demonstrate the writer's knowledge, which never helps. At the same time there were still proofing errors in a few places.
Certainly worth reading, Amy-Jane is clearly very knowledgeable and some of the writing is brilliant but it does get a bit repetitive.
After a powerful start it meandered so gently that I put it to one side after about 100 pages and came back to it.
The writing is very strong and engaging in places, some things just seem to have been included arbitrarily though and I agree with others that it could have been shorter.
On occasion there were words used that were so obscure they can only have been to demonstrate the writer's knowledge, which never helps. At the same time there were still proofing errors in a few places.
Certainly worth reading, Amy-Jane is clearly very knowledgeable and some of the writing is brilliant but it does get a bit repetitive.
October 29, 2024
Nice enough but too rambling. Just when you read a chapter which is informative it then slips right back into self assessment or self pitying. You know how some people fit into a stereotype. At one point the author talks of kayaking and wild swimming. You know immediately she is going to reference Richard Mabey. Then a little later they will turn out to be a radio 4 listener. I suspect yoga and meditation or mindfulness might suddenly appear on the next page. And yes it does distract from the interesting aspects, such as the meandering route of the River Derwent, the derivation of names and other interesting non-author related emotions or lifestyle demonstrations
February 6, 2024
I had high expectations for this book but half way through I'm looking at the book shelf considering giving up. Ironically, it's just too meandering. As other reviews note it needed further editing, because there is great descriptive writing, interesting facts, thought-provoking warnings and slightly trippy experiences in there. Unfortunately, you just have to work to get to them through indulgently long passages. It needed a clearer focus than the format of a (never-ending) series of journeys to look at a body of water.
November 17, 2024
Once past the ponderings of a deeply personal past trauma, this book opens up into a fascinating account of England's historic relationship with its rivers, streams and the wider landscape, how they've been diced and sliced for humanity's purposes over the centuries, with virtually no regard for the role of nature in underpinning the liveability of our planet, until the stakes become untenable.
June 13, 2024
Parts of this book I loved. Amazing descriptions of rivers and I learnt a lot about them and their immediate surrounds, how we need to look after them so they can look after us. So really glad I read it. But gosh it is overly long and bizarrely bearing in mind its title my main criticism is the book doesn’t flow at all. It is a collection of short stories with not enough connection.
July 11, 2024
A deep dive into the ecology of Britain's and Scotland's river, the people who use them for any and all purposes, and the critical need to preserve them and access to them. The book begins with a kayaker's death, but that recedes quickly to why rivers keep calling the author and her call to engage rivers wherever you are.
August 9, 2024
Actually gave up on this. I enjoyed the first part but found it became too detailed and a bit hard going. Some interesting sections though eg about chalk streams and features in Yorkshire - I might go back to this book - perhaps it's better read over a longer period, interspersed with other reading.
June 17, 2025
Beautiful book taking a journey through rivers in the UK, I find myself wishing I could transport to the rivers and wild camping spots that Amy explores. To see what she sees, and feel the crisp cool waters she embraces. Thank you for sharing your journey, Amy. This book has managed to further deepen both the wonder and appreciation for water.
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