On this summer solstice my book goes out into the world.

From Seed to Sapling…

Several years ago I collected a handful of acorns from the forest floor in a wood close to my home. I later popped them in some soil, wondering if they would grow as I tucked them in with a little pat and a whispered wish to sprout strong. Around the same time as I planted those little seeds of hope, I also pulled from my desk drawer a messy first draft of a manuscript I had written during the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic amid the demands of mothering at that time and trying to keep a fledgling business afloat. Just as I dreamt about those acorns cracking open and sprouting into oak saplings, so too I began to dream about my little seed of a book unfurling its tendrils and becoming something beautiful that might go out into the world to inspire and encourage others into a relationship with themselves, the natural world and others.

And so I set to work… I began to edit and reshape, to work with my wonderful mentor, Kerri ní Dochartaigh, and slowly over the past couple of years, my gorgeous book ‘Nurture: A Story of Body & Belonging’ has blossomed into something I am incredibly proud to share with you on this threshold day into the light-filled season.

On this day of the summer solstice, I am delighted to introduce:

Nurture: A Story of Body & Belonging.

This book that comes from the depths of my heart is a nature memoir and an invitation.

It is for the seekers. The dreamers. The wild-hearted ones.

It is a love-letter to the Mourne Mountains in the North of Ireland.

A story of becoming, healing, sisterhood and journeying through the seasons.

It is for those yearning to tune-in to the melody of their own wild hearts.

Come, join me on this adventure through mountain valleys, under waterfalls, into the sea and off the beaten track to discover what it means to me to be wildly alive in the world today.

Those acorns that I planted all that time ago did sprout and are now the most adorable little oak saplings. All five of them are lined up in my garden, well away from dogs and flying rugby balls. To me, they are symbolic of so very much and I do my best to take care of them – to water them, make sure they get enough light and keep them out of harm’s way, to ensure they continue to grow. They speak of hope, those little oak saplings, and of possibility. About what can happen when we dare to sow the seed, tend to it, dream about it unfurling and reaching towards the sun. They are a reminder that I took a chance on myself and my words and brought my book into the world. But they are also a reminder that seeds want to grow. That we can make such a difference even with the smallest of things in our hurting world. That within each of us there are seeds of longing just waiting to flourish given half the chance.

With this in mind, at the end of each chapter of the book you will find a ‘Nurture Connection’ section. This is a series of gentle invitations and journal prompts that will support you to connect with the seeds of longing and the wildness both within yourself and the world beyond. Think of them as little yellow arrows on a wooden post, way-markers for the journey ahead…

Will you join me on this journey? We are in this together.

Let’s go…

Full-colour, hardback, photo-adorned, signed copies of Nurture are available to order now from buythebook.ie here: Buy The Book

To celebrate Nurture going out into the world I am hosting a little gathering in the mountains. This will be a fun day of celebration, a gentle wander as well as some treats to enjoy together.

Here are all the details for that:

Finally, a massive by thank-you to everyone who has already ordered Nurture, sent messages, voice-notes and cheered me on. It means the world to me and I hope that my words arrive as a gift to you.

Love,

Kelly x

Welcome to the world Nurture…