annieb123's Review of The Way Back Almanac 2022

by Melinda Salisbury

The Way Back Almanac is a modern spin on the traditional almanac, aimed at women who are looking for a way back to nature and to reawaken that sense of belonging in order to improve their own physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

The traditional almanac is a month-by-month prompt to the beautiful transformations of nature that offer a magical and poetic way to celebrate the year. The Way Back Almanac is a modern twist on the conventional almanac, an accessible and truly contemporary guide back to natural rhythms, designed for those who feel most removed from the old ways and cycles.

If you are concerned about the planet, climate emergency and sustainability, this interactive journal will help you discover a way of living more harmoniously with the planet, but without the necessity for a garden or to make major changes to your life. Both a practical companion to the year and a stunning piece of nature writing, it will show how even a busy modern life in a city can be infused with meaningful connections with the world we live in.

Beautifully illustrated throughout, each month includes sections on stargazing, gardening tips, seasonal vegan recipes, home organisation or crafting ideas, digital wellbeing practices, rituals, book club reads, folklore or ancient wisdom as told by modern women from different walks of life, and free space for your own writing, notes or recipes. This interactive and treasured item will gently encourage creativity, fulfillment and ultimately a way back to yourself.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Way Back Almanac 2022 is an almanac and seasonal guide full of practical tutorials and exercises to reconnect with the outdoors, nature, and our relationship with the wider world written and presented by Melinda Salisbury. Due out 10th Aug 2021 from Watkins Publishing, it's 272 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

The chapters are arranged around the yearly calendar and seasons, January through December. Each chapter includes some almanac type information: astronomy, first full moon, other celestial events, seasonal garden tasks, what plants to start, checklists, small indulgent self-care tasks and tutorials and some recipes. There are also plenty of writing prompts to help with journaling and diary-keeping. There are also bits of folklore included and some small rituals and lots of philosophy.

The layout is restful and easy to read with high contrast printing. The art is simple with small line drawings scattered throughout. I found the whole very restful and engaging. This would be a really lovely gift for a journaling or gardening friend. I intend to buy a hardcopy for myself and imagine myself sitting with my morning tea and (hopefully) carving out some time to put pen to paper.

The vegan friendly recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in metric (grams & ml) with American standard measurements in parentheses (yay!). The cooking instructions are easy to follow with alternative presentations listed at the end of the recipe. None of the recipes include pictures.

Five stars. Contemplative, engaging, restful, and worthwhile.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Way Back Almanac 2022

by Melinda Salisbury

Reviewed by annieb123 on Jul 16, 2021

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