The Waterlands by Stephen Rutt
One of the things I value in life is the importance of slowing things down, and whenever I can, I visit the local Wetlands to surround myself in silence and immerse myself in nature once again. It’s something so many of us overlook, which is why I was delighted to read Stephen Rutt’s new book,
Although not a native of Scotland, living in Wales, I feel the majesty of the landscape in
Although primarily, The Waterlands is a book focusing on the natural world, I did feel there was certainly a message to us humans, and our effect upon this beautiful world we live in. By imagining ourselves as a raindrop, we have the ability to influence the world around us, and we can either protect and nurture this world or destroy it. If we consider ourselves as a raindrop, which travels through the high and low lands, we can see a reflection of ourselves in this, sometimes speeding, sometimes slowing, our raindrop can certainly be taken as a reflection of our daily lives.
The lands in which our raindrop travels, however, is more than a metaphor, and in Stephen Rutt once again steps forward to show how even the seemingly least significant aspect of our planet, a raindrop, has the loudest voice, not just highlighting the importance of the water in our world, but also our symbiotic relationship with the natural world around us, where water gives life to us all.
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by Stephen Rutt is out now, published by Elliott & Thompson (£16.99). To order a copy, go to eandtbooks.com
