All My Wild Mothers

'A beautifully written and wisely laid out memoir . . . a treasure map back to 'living', for those who have been away too long ' Donna Ashworth, author of Wild Hope 'Lyrical and beautiful... the book we all need to read right now ' Catherine Simpson, author of One Body An intimate memoir of motherhood, herbal folklore ALL MY WILD MOTHERS is more than just a memoir. It's a handbook on survival , and a testimony to radical hope . At seven months pregnant, Victoria Bennett learns her sister has died in a canoeing accident. In that moment, her life changes. Five years later, and struggling with the demands of motherhood, grief and full-time care, Victoria and her family move to a new social housing estate in rural Cumbria. Here, in the rubble of a former industrial site, she and her young son begin to grow a wild apothecary garden: daisy, for resilience; dandelion, for strength against adversity; sow thistle, to lift melancholy; and borage, to bring hope in dark and difficult times. Stone by stone, seed by seed, they discover that sometimes life grows, not in spite what is broken, but because of it. All My Wild Mothers is a profound exploration of grief, identity, and rediscovery; a testament that life and love persists, even when we think all is lost. ' Spellbinding ... the most moving portrait of a mother and child I've ever read ' Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure For Sleep *** 'An impossibly moving memoir of gardens, herbalism, and the rigours and rewards of care... It heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in nature writing ' Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment 'A stunning meditation on the joy of nurturing (and of getting your hands dirty). It is a love letter to mothering and nature and mother nature , which bursts with wisdom, humility and hope. The writing is lyrical and beautiful ... exactly the book we all need to read right now... What a wonderful book' Catherine Simpson, author of When I Had A Little Sister 'Exquisitely written... the most moving portrait of a mother and child I've ever read ... This is a book of passionate resistance to everything in modern life that wants us to stay neat and small and fearful' Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure for Sleep ' Beautiful and life-affirming experience. A memoir written with tremendous care for the reader' Jini Riddy, author of Wanderland 'Prismatically beautiful in its honesty and telling... a wonderful book. An apothecary of love ' Nicola Chester, author of On Gallows Down

'A beautifully written and wisely laid out memoir . . . a treasure map back to 'living', for those who have been away too long ' Donna Ashworth, author of Wild Hope 'Lyrical and beautiful... the book we all need to read right now ' Catherine Simpson, author of One Body An intimate memoir of motherhood, herbal folklore ALL MY WILD MOTHERS is more than just a memoir. It's a handbook on survival , and a testimony to radical hope . At seven months pregnant, Victoria Bennett learns her sister has died in a canoeing accident. In that moment, her life changes. Five years later, and struggling with the demands of motherhood, grief and full-time care, Victoria and her family move to a new social housing estate in rural Cumbria. Here, in the rubble of a former industrial site, she and her young son begin to grow a wild apothecary garden: daisy, for resilience; dandelion, for strength against adversity; sow thistle, to lift melancholy; and borage, to bring hope in dark and difficult times. Stone by stone, seed by seed, they discover that sometimes life grows, not in spite what is broken, but because of it. All My Wild Mothers is a profound exploration of grief, identity, and rediscovery; a testament that life and love persists, even when we think all is lost. ' Spellbinding ... the most moving portrait of a mother and child I've ever read ' Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure For Sleep *** 'An impossibly moving memoir of gardens, herbalism, and the rigours and rewards of care... It heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in nature writing ' Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment 'A stunning meditation on the joy of nurturing (and of getting your hands dirty). It is a love letter to mothering and nature and mother nature , which bursts with wisdom, humility and hope. The writing is lyrical and beautiful ... exactly the book we all need to read right now... What a wonderful book' Catherine Simpson, author of When I Had A Little Sister 'Exquisitely written... the most moving portrait of a mother and child I've ever read ... This is a book of passionate resistance to everything in modern life that wants us to stay neat and small and fearful' Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure for Sleep ' Beautiful and life-affirming experience. A memoir written with tremendous care for the reader' Jini Riddy, author of Wanderland 'Prismatically beautiful in its honesty and telling... a wonderful book. An apothecary of love ' Nicola Chester, author of On Gallows Down

'Lyrical and beautiful and feels like a haven in a cynical world - exactly the book we all need to read right now' Catherine Simpson , author of One Body: A Retrospective , When I Had A Little Sister and Truestory 'A book of passionate resistance to everything in modern life that wants us to stay neat and small and fearful' Tanya Shadrick , author of The Cure For Sleep An intimate weaving of memoir and herbal folklore, All My Wild Mothers is a story of rewilding our wastelands and the transformation that can happen when we do. At seven months pregnant, Victoria Bennett was looking forward to new motherhood and all that was to come. But when the telephone rang, the news she received changed everything. Her eldest sister had died in a canoeing accident. Five years later, struggling with grief, the demands of being a parent-carer for her young son, and the impact of deeper austerity, life feels very different to the future she had imagined. A move to a new social housing estate in rural Cumbria offers Victoria and her family a chance to rebuild their lives. Constructed over an industrial site, at first the barren ground seems an unlikely place to sow the seeds of a new life. She and her son set about transforming the rubble around them into a wild apothecary garden. Daisy, for resilience. Dandelion, for strength against adversity. Red campion, to ward off loneliness. Sow thistle, to lift melancholy. Borage, to bring hope in dark and difficult times. Stone by stone, seed by seed, All My Wild Mothers is the story of how sometimes life grows, not in spite of what is broken, but because of it. 'An exciting new voice in nature writing' Cal Flyn, Sunday Times Writer of the Year, and author of Islands of Abandonment and Thicker Than Water

'Lyrical and beautiful and feels like a haven in a cynical world - exactly the book we all need to read right now' Catherine Simpson , author of One Body: A Retrospective , When I Had A Little Sister and Truestory 'A book of passionate resistance to everything in modern life that wants us to stay neat and small and fearful' Tanya Shadrick , author of The Cure For Sleep An intimate weaving of memoir and herbal folklore, All My Wild Mothers is a story of rewilding our wastelands and the transformation that can happen when we do. At seven months pregnant, Victoria Bennett was looking forward to new motherhood and all that was to come. But when the telephone rang, the news she received changed everything. Her eldest sister had died in a canoeing accident. Five years later, struggling with grief, the demands of being a parent-carer for her young son, and the impact of deeper austerity, life feels very different to the future she had imagined. A move to a new social housing estate in rural Cumbria offers Victoria and her family a chance to rebuild their lives. Constructed over an industrial site, at first the barren ground seems an unlikely place to sow the seeds of a new life. She and her son set about transforming the rubble around them into a wild apothecary garden. Daisy, for resilience. Dandelion, for strength against adversity. Red campion, to ward off loneliness. Sow thistle, to lift melancholy. Borage, to bring hope in dark and difficult times. Stone by stone, seed by seed, All My Wild Mothers is the story of how sometimes life grows, not in spite of what is broken, but because of it. 'An exciting new voice in nature writing' Cal Flyn, Sunday Times Writer of the Year, and author of Islands of Abandonment and Thicker Than Water