THINKING ON MY FEET

Sub-titled 'The Small Joy of Putting One Foot In Front of Another' in the Preamble we are told 'I walked out of the door of the hotel and into Africa.' 'For me walking fills as vital as breathing. The first thing I do, every morning I can, is to go for a walk - for an hour, or longer if I can get away with it - usually alone apart from my dogs. I find the simple action of putting one foot in front of the other, and the rhythm of that action, incredibly therapeutic. It wakes me up, unscrambles my sleep-fogged head. But it also gives me a sense of immersion, of being rooted somewhere...' Kate Humble advocates that this simple act shows us that the true purpose of walking transcends the need to get from A to B and her book is a heartfelt call to action for anyone seeking to enhance their own health and happiness, one step at a time. The connection with the seasons, with the daily shifts, how a mood is lifted by the song of a skylark, a fragrant sea of bluebells or the crashing waves on a windswept beach, the book is an encouragement to reconnect with the outside world. The reason Kate Humble was in this region of Isebania, with its people particularly hated by the Maasai, was the traditional practice of female genital mutilation. Governed by their own gods, beliefs and powerful council of elders, the people within the tribe wanted to see change too and the practice of circumcising girls to become a thing of the past. 'We were there to try to capture, as faithfully and honestly as we could, the complexities of this period of huge social upheaval.' 296pp, paperback.