Why this book
May's central argument is that Western culture treats difficulty and retreat as personal failures — something to hustle past as fast as possible — when in fact these fallow periods, which she calls "wintering," are a natural and even generative part of a full life, deserving the same acceptance we extend to the actual season of winter. Drawing on her own experience of illness, her son's school anxiety, and a marriage under strain, alongside seasonal folklore, animal hibernation, and Nordic and Northern European winter customs, she builds a case for slowing down rather than fighting the fallow period.
It matters because relentless productivity culture offers no framework for people going through grief, burnout, illness, or simply a hard stretch, other than shame at not bouncing back fast enough; May offers a permission structure and a vocabulary — noticing, resting, retreating, and eventually reemerging — that reframes hardship as cyclical rather than as a permanent verdict on someone's worth or capability.
Who should read it
Anyone currently going through a rough patch — illness, loss, burnout, or a quieter unnamed low — will find both comfort and practical reframing here, as will people who feel guilty for needing rest. It's less useful as a step-by-step self-help manual than as a companion for sitting with difficulty honestly.
About the author
Katherine May is a British author known for memoir and nonfiction exploring nature, neurodivergence, and personal resilience; Wintering became a widely discussed bestseller during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, resonating with readers navigating enforced slowdown.