This is an unusual, beautifully-written memoir which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.

Noreen Masud explores some flat landscapes, including the Cambridgeshire Fens, Morecambe Bay and Orkney, but the book is anything but flat. She considers what these represent to her and how they help her to confront the complex trauma of her childhood in Pakistan. Her strict father, a doctor, kept the family indoors and isolated. When he disowned them, Noreen found herself adjusting to life in her mother’s native Scotland. The writing meanders back and forth, between past and present. Originally, the author explains, the book was going to be just about the landscapes, but the trauma was inescapable and she has written a more engaging book because of this. The memoir covers several topics, such as humans changing the landscape, the legacy of colonialism, attitudes towards women in society, and more. The writing has a poetic quality but is easy to read, which is ideal for memoirs and nature writing. One of my top non-fiction reads of the year, so far!

First published in 2023 by Penguin.