The Ghost Lake: A memoir of grief, nature and ancestry in rural Yorkshire

'Remarkable'OBSERVER 'Deeply profound… this is no ordinary memoir' THE TIMES ‘Astounding’ ADAM FARRER ‘Brave and luminous’ SARAH LANGFORD ‘Mesmerising’ POLLY ATKIN ‘Beautifully written’ YORKSHIRE POST ‘Steadfastly honest’ GEOGRAPHICAL A memoir of grief, nature and ancestry in rural Yorkshire. I am setting out on a pilgrimage through an ancient landscape. I will begin at my daughter’s grave. Paleolake Flixton is an extinct lake in North Yorkshire. Human occupation of the site dates back thousands of years, but today, all that is left is a watermark. Wendy Pratt brings readers on a pilgrimage around its periphery, to locations that have acted as journey markers in her own life. While traversing forests and fenland, she finds refuge in nature. The Ghost Lake is a lyrical meditation on local history, changing landscapes, and the lives and legacies of rural working-class people. Wendy Pratt's The Ghost Lake is a compelling autobiography that explores the intricate ecosystems of lakes, ponds, and swamps. This memoir, one of the best in non-fiction, is a testament to her life and the habitats that have influenced it. nan HarperCollins 2024 This is a very different sort of book, a steadfastly honest one that views nature as a refuge rather than a cure. Many should find solace here. And others will simply gain pleasure from the descriptions of the archaeological finds unearthed from Yorkshire’s rich black peaty soils’GEOGRAPHICAL Wendy Pratt's The Ghost Lake is a compelling autobiography that explores the intricate ecosystems of lakes, ponds, and swamps. This memoir, one of the best in non-fiction, is a testament to her life and the habitats that have influenced it. HarperCollins 2024