Undiscovered Scotland

 

Some books are a complete surprise. When I received a review copy of "Take Me to the River" by Vicky Allan and Jackie Kemp, my first thought was: "Why would anyone gather together writing from the ages about wild swimming?" It took a little while for me to begin to understand. As I leafed through this volume, the immediate reaction was one of pleasure at the very high production values. And as I dipped into the content - puns in reviews should be avoided at all costs, but that one was unavoidable - I began to appreciate the sheer amount of effort that has gone into sourcing material for what I eventually realised is a rather remarkable book.

There's also a compelling rationale for the book in its introduction, but that only helps confirm what most readers will have worked out for themselves. This, and a look at the rear leaf of the dustcover shows that the two authors are fans of wild swimming, but that's also obvious from the content. The result is a must-buy gift for the wild swimmer in your life: or yourself!

The book is divided into six main sections with headings such as "Play: Swimming and Childhood"; "Scary: Monsters and Marvels"; "Sensation: Swimming and Desires". Each of these is further divided, so "Sensations" includes "Feeling Water"; "Erotic Encounters"; "Old Times"; amongst others. And, finally, each of these subdivisions is formed from a series of outtakes from established authors from across the ages, with sections of commentary by the authors. It's perhaps no surprise to find Arthur Ransome leading the way in the childhood section; or D.H. Lawrence making an early showing in the "Desires" section. Other authors to put in an appearance include Mark Twain, John Buchan, Jerome K. Jerome, Iris Murdoch, Nan Shepherd and Jane Austen: plus many, many more.

You get a good sense of the book from the publisher's description: "From gentle dips in calm waters to fights for survival in stormy seas. From the erotic charge of a streamlined body to moments of revelation amidst the waves . . . Take Me to the River is an anthology not just of wild swimming writing, but of stories of how a jump into deep waters can change us. Open water swimming plays a pivotal role in many great narratives, taking us on an immersive journey, from Homer's Odyssey to contemporary poetry and memoirs. There is adventure here and aquatic playfulness. Grief and anguish, too; heartbreaks displaced and healed by watery spaces. Love and desire spark between characters at the edge of the water, as does freedom from constraint and the glorious energy of possibility and hope."