{"product_id":"the-half-bird","title":"Half Bird","description":"\u003cp\u003eA \u003ci\u003eFINANCIAL TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BEST SUMMER TRAVEL BOOK OF 2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e**Good Housekeeping \u003c\/i\u003erecommended '20 uplifting memoirs by remarkable women', June 2024**\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e**Wanderlust\u003c\/i\u003e magazine best travel books of 2024**\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Absorbing, moving, impressive'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e______\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiscover the incredible story of one woman's solo journey, from Land's End to the shores of Greece, exploring the unexpected joy of solitude, self-discovery and resilience\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'It’s \u003cb\u003ehard to read \u003ci\u003eThe Half Bird \u003c\/i\u003ewithout wondering whether you could do it too.\u003c\/b\u003e It may be better to start by pondering Smillie’s wider message – that \u003cb\u003eto work out what will truly make you happy, you first need to stop and smell the air around you' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e__________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e'We have no idea how much resilience there is inside us until we have to draw on it. We learn that we grow through adversity only as we go through it. That we crave happiness like plants leaning toward the light'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Susan quit her job in London and set sail off the south coast of England on her beloved sailboat, Isean, she was unaware this spontaneous departure would lead to a three-year journey spanning several countries across the continent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith only the very basics on board, resourcefulness becomes an unexpected source of joy and contentment. The highs and lows of living in such an extreme way awakens a newfound appreciation for the beauty of her surroundings, for being safe - for just being alive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor all the physical and navigational challenges of her journey, the other side of her story reveals a more important change - an inner journey - that took place along the way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis wasn't merely a challenge, a mid-life adventure or gap-year career break; it was much gentler than that, but much greater too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe was seeking nothing less than an entirely different life, having left the land far behind to call the wild, unbiddable sea home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e__________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Half Bird\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'I didn't know a love song between a woman and her boat could transport, and transfix me. \u003ci\u003eThe Half Bird \u003c\/i\u003emade my heart whole'\u003c\/b\u003e Rhik Samadder, author of\u003ci\u003e I Never Said I Loved You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A beautiful, wise and open-hearted odyssey through life, loves and the sea' \u003c\/b\u003ePatrick Barkham, author of The Butterfly Isles\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Told with all the invigorating energy of a crisp wind under a cloudless sky' \u003c\/b\u003eCharlotte Higgins, Chief culture writer, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48044494717272,"sku":"9780241553169","price":21.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780241553169_bfde4f28-6cb4-4660-9b3e-f2258adae5f8.jpg?v=1769229927","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/the-half-bird","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}