The Electricity of Every Living Thing

A Woman's Walk in the Wild to Find Her Way Home

By: Katherine May

Narrated by: Katherine May

Last summer, Katherine May was approaching 40, feeling overwhelmed by motherhood and lacking connection with others, lost in a world of inundation and expectation. She had always felt different but this feeling was new. She wanted to get out, get free and find herself again - and so set about walking the rugged 450 mile South West Coast Path.

However, this journey uncovers more than she ever imagined. By chance, en route to the walk, Katherine hears a radio show and the guests are speaking about Asperger's Syndrome. Things begin to fall into place - could this explain the white-outs, the excruciating confusion around social contact, the electric feeling of every living thing?

After a formal diagnosis, Katherine begins to unravel this new perspective of her life. Through her physical journey comes an emotional one - of accepting who she is and moving forward. It's not just about walking or Asperger's; this is one woman's journey to feel free within herself, something that everyone can relate to.

©2018 Katherine May (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group

Gentle, intimate, insightful

So good to hear such a thoughtful story of self-discovery and growth. The author put my struggles with ASD into words I could understand.

A life-affirming read

This book will have a life-long positive effect on me. Katherine May, in coming out to the whole world as autistic (!!!), has given women like her (especially those who are mothers) a role model and if ever there was a group that needs good role models, it is the autistic. I will reread this book and give the hard copy I have also ordered to family and close friends. At last I have something which is a very close description of what it feels like to be me. The fact that May ultimately celebrates her autistic traits is one of the book's main strengths and I suspect may even save a few lives.
I enjoyed the descriptive writing on the English coastline. It made me feel like I was there too. The author's support for biodiversity in landscape and wildlife ecological systems mirrors her acceptance of neurodiversity within the human ecological system.