wild woman swimming, by Lynne roper

Review written by Adrienne Cousins, book-club member

introducing the book

This incredible diary of wild swims on Dartmoor was never really written to be published, it was a record of the joy, freedom, friendships and cake developed through a love of swimming in rivers, ponds and sea, started in 2011 until her untimely death from a brain tumour in 2016.  Lynne was a paramedic, recovering from a double mastectomy, who was a founding member of the Devon Wild Swimmers. The descriptions of the swims, nature, her beloved dog “Honey”, camaraderie, descriptions of the state of the water is evocative and enthralling! Wild Woman Swimming was edited posthumously by Tanya Shadrick, another amazing woman worth looking up!

my journey

I am on a journey of healing after I managed to escape an abusive relationship just last September and who I am now is miles from who I was but is still a shaky person. Pushing send on this review is taking some courage! But… as part of a group called The Yes Tribe I’ll have a go !

I travel so much, the opening of the virtual world has enabled me to be a part of so much more and finding your book club group has been a true blessing - in fact early in my journey a friend lent me, then had to buy my own copy of Raynor Winn’s The Salt Path - my dream is to walk the coast of the UK - it was searching for her next book to order early, that you popped up on a Google search!

It seems like life is providing for me I need when I need things! Just last night in a virtual zoom meeting, I met a lady who had met and swam with Lynn Roper! She has an amazing website Divine Dartmoor Walks and has self published two books you may like to look at ! Thank you for the group and the opportunity to enjoy another passion, of reading an entirely new genre!

Who knew joining a virtual book club during Covid lockdown could provide this ! 

inspiration… and action!

I was fortunate to be house sitting on the edge of Dartmoor whilst reading and her writing drew me out to explore and experience this freedom - pure therapy! It gave me courage to be myself, rather than the person others wanted me to be. The chance meeting with a couple of teenagers who remarked I looked like Donald Trump, whilst swimming in Shilley Pool (p132) with the peaty water making my limbs look orange, made me hoot and certainly Lynne would have been laughing along, I’m sure ! Lynne describes this pool as Guinness, Jail Ale and ice in a pubs drip tray at the end of a busy night ! Her writing draws you in, enables you to experience, even when far away. It says on the fly sheet “to be read outside - may it be waterlogged, sun buckled and wind-chapped” - mine certainly is, with random sticky notes on particular pages, to read again especially  on the long dark nights of winter to remind me of the joy of wild swimming and memories of the journey back to myself.

Thank you Lynne Roper, I wish I could thank you personally, for giving me the courage to be my own feral Wild Woman, walking and swimming my way back to health!

Find out more about Rowan Tree facilitation and coaching, and the Women and Nature book group