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The Way of the Hermit: My Incredible 40 Years Living in the Wilderness – An Inspiring Scottish Adventure Memoir of Solitude and Resilience Original Edition
Author(s): Ken Smith (Author), Will Millard
- Publisher: Hanover Square Press
- Publication Date: May 28, 2024
- Edition: Original
- Language: English
- Print length: 272 pages
- ISBN-10: 1335454969
- ISBN-13: 9781335454966
Book Description
Seventy-four-year-old Ken Smith has spent the past four decades in the Scottish Highlands. His home is a log cabin nestled near Loch Treig, known as “the lonely loch,” where he lives off the land. He fishes for his supper, chops his own wood and even brews his own tipple. He is, in the truest sense of the word, a hermit.
From his working-class origins in Derbyshire, Ken always sensed that there was more ot life than an empty nine to five. Then one day in 1974, an attack from a group of drunken men left him for dead. Determined to change his prospects, Ken quit his job and spent his formative years traveling in the Yukon. It was here, in the vast wilderness of northwestern Canada, that he honed his survival skills and grew closer to nature. Returning to Britain, he continued his nomadic lifestyle, wandering north and living in huts until he finally reached Loch Treig. Ken decided to lay his roots amongst the dense woodland and Highland air, and has lived there ever since.
In
The Way of the Hermit, Ken shares the remarkable story of his lfe for the very first time. Told with humor and compassion, his unique insights allow us to glimpse the awe and wonder of a life lived in nature and offer wisdom on how each of us can escape the pressures and stresses of modern life.Editorial Reviews
Review
“Moving…
The Way of the Hermit feels qualitatively different from other hermit-related books… They are the basic stuff of existence, the point at which Smith makes daily, intimate contact with the natural world and his own human needs. His ability to appreciate them despite their repetitious quality is worthy of a zen monk… Few of us can say as much, and it feels like a blessing to have spent this time with someone who can.”—Slate“A Thoreauvian account of solitary life in the Scottish Highlands….[a] spry memoir….A delightful manual for would-be back-to-the-landers, if not hermits in training.”—
Kirkus“[A] kernel of kindness and an idea for a society built on warm, good-natured reciprocity with each other and all the beings among whom we live. Smith seems to stand like a shy, modest trailblazer.”
– Geographical“Refreshingly candid and humorous… For anyone who feels they are merely going through the motions, this book will make an inspiring read.”
– BBC Countryfile Magazine“Moving… Any book that leaves you with more questions than answers is a good thing.”
– The Scotsman“An extraordinary existence… [A] book that Smith hopes will enable others to connect with ‘the hermit that sits within.'”
– The TelegraphAbout the Author
Will Millard is a writer, BBC presenter, public speaker and expedition leader. He is the BAFTA Cymru and Realscreen Awards–winning presenter of
My Year with the Tribe and Hunters of the South Seas. His first book, The Old Man and the Sand Eel, follows his wild journey across Britain in pursuit of a fishing record. He has written for numerous national and international magazines and newspapers, including BBC News, Daily Telegraph, Vice, The Guardian, Geographical and Fallon’s Angler.
