NEW Book REVIEW
Published by Polygon Books, £10.99, paperback
THEY SAY YOU SHOULDN’T meet your heroes. But what if you had the chance to follow in their footsteps? This is what Merryn Glover set out to do in The Hidden Fires: retrace Nan Shepherd’s journey into the Cairngorms as documented in The Living Mountain. Prior to reading I wondered how a retelling – refracted through all its modern-day realities – could compare with the romance and rose-tinted experiences of yore.
Well, the resulting book – an homage to Shepherd peppered with ecological updates, sociopolitical interpretations, corrections of half-truths and reframings to include previously omitted stories – is not only beautiful but perhaps even more important for modern-day hillwalkers.
Merryn Glover feels “an eternal beginner” in the mountains. Likewise, Shepherd did not claim to be an elite athlete or all-conquering explorer. This is just one of the many things these nature writers have in common – including a breathtaking way with words.
As Shepherd was guided by her knowledgeable friends, she also became guide to others and eventually – albeit through her writing – to Glover. With the warm voices of both women weaving together, you will feel instantly welcomed into this book’s mountain world.
The Hidden Fires places the Cairngorm massif on the same pedestal as the ranges of India and Nepal where Glover grew up. Whilst she and Shepherd share a love of the Cairngorms, there is delight in the differences in their experiences. Despite the influence of Shepherd’s gaze, Glover’s own voice – thoughtful, honest, funny and utterly full of feeling – shines.
As a reader, Iam grateful to have both perspectives
