{"title":"Sara Maitland","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the contemplative world of \u003cstrong\u003eSara Maitland\u003c\/strong\u003e, where solitude and nature intertwine in evocative prose. Her works, such as \u003cem\u003eA Book Of Silence\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGossip from the Forest\u003c\/em\u003e, invite readers to reflect on the rhythms of the natural world and the power of silence in modern life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlending memoir with insightful observations, Maitland’s writing offers gentle guidance on personal growth and the art of being alone. Her books resonate with those seeking a deeper understanding of self through the lens of nature and quietude.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-book-of-silence-by-sara-maitland-9781847081513","title":"A Book Of Silence","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn her late forties, after a noisy upbringing as one of six children and adulthood as a vocal feminist and mother, Sara Maitland found herself living alone in the country, and, to her surprise, falling in love with silence. In this fascinating, intelligent, beautifully written book, Maitland describes how she set out to explore this new love, spending periods of silence in the Sinai desert, the Scottish hills, and a remote cottage on the Isle of Skye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMaitland finds her experiences both euphoric and dark, mirrored in the accounts of others who have encountered silence—from explorers and mystics to long-distance sailors. And in a wonderfully confiding, witty voice, she delves deep into the rich cultural history of silence, exploring its significance in fairytale and myth, its importance to the Western and Eastern religious traditions, and its use in psychoanalysis and artistic expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMaitland's journey into silence holds surprises and setbacks, but mainly reveals a deepening happiness. Her story culminates in her building a hermitage on an isolated moor in Galloway, and as she guides readers through experiences of silence in this new home, she evokes a sense of peace that includes the reader in its intimate tranquility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46541512835308,"sku":"9781847081513","price":26.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17542583482845.jpg?v=1749680957"},{"product_id":"gossip-from-the-forest-by-sara-maitland-9781847084309","title":"Gossip from the Forest","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFairytales are one of our earliest and most vital cultural forms, and forests one of our most ancient landscapes. Both evoke a similar sensation in us—we find them beautiful and magical, but also spooky, sometimes horrifying.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating book, Maitland argues that the two forms are intimately connected: the mysterious secrets and silences, gifts and perils of the forests were both the background and the source of the fairytales made famous by the Grimms and Hans Christian Andersen. Yet both forests and fairy stories are at risk and their loss deprives us of our cultural lifeblood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMaitland visits forests through the seasons, from the exquisite green of a beechwood in spring, to the muffled stillness of a snowy pine wood in winter. She camps with her son Adam, whose beautiful photographs are included in the book; she takes a barefoot walk through Epping Forest with Robert Macfarlane; she walks with a mushroom expert through an oak wood, and with a miner through the Forest of Dean. Maitland ends each chapter with a unique, imaginative re-telling of a fairytale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten with Maitland's wonderful clarity and conversational grace, \u003ci\u003eGossip from the Forest\u003c\/i\u003e is a magical and unique blend of nature writing, history, and imaginative fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46545131012332,"sku":"9781847084309","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781847084309.jpg?v=1750040412"},{"product_id":"how-to-be-alone-by-sara-maitland-9781035019731","title":"How to Be Alone","description":"Our fast-paced society does not approve of solitude; being alone is literally anti-social and some even find it sinister. Why is this so when autonomy, personal freedom and individualism are more highly prized than ever before? Sara Maitland answers this question by exploring changing attitudes throughout history. Offering experiments and strategies for overturning our fear of solitude, she helps us to practise it without anxiety and encourages us to see the benefits of spending time by ourselves. By indulging in the experience of being alone, we can be inspired to find our own rewards and ultimately lead richer, fuller lives.","brand":"Macmillan Publishers New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48242316804332,"sku":"9781035019731","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781035019731-how-to-be-alone-1.jpg?v=1787971311"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/sara-maitland.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}