By Megan Thomas
‘A Woman, Some Waves, and the Will to Swim’ is the byline of this book, which does a good job in setting the reader up for Alexandra Heminsley’s biography. I have taken a deep dive (excuse the pun) into sea swimming and particularly cold water swimming recently, so have really been lapping up (sorry again) opportunities to read about other people’s swimming journeys. This was a great addition to my list.
The first half of the book is about her journey, from swimming lessons in the local pool to her adventures swimming around the Greek islands (which I definitely want to do now). The second half is more practical and takes the form of a guide of how to get into swimming, from debunking myths to what sort of equipment you’re going to need in the sea. All in all, it has the appeal of a self-help style reading experience with personal anecdotes, more than a memoir, and is probably best suited to people who have the intention of getting in the water – or those who are open to being convinced.
I’m planning to move to the Brighton and Hove area this Summer, so this was not just an inspirational but aspirational read. Despite my vested interest in the content, you shouldn’t be discouraged not to read Leap In if you have never put a toe in the sea. If anything, this book is more for you than it was for me. Not only was Heminsley an inexperienced swimmer that had never done much more than a bit of Summer-time breaststroke, but she was scared of the sea – a fair and sensible fear to have, given its power. But something that becomes very clear is that being branded as ‘not a swimmer’ is just the kind of thing to inspire Heminsley to do just the opposite.
BUY THE BOOK: Waterstones | Foyles | Amazon
Disclaimer: I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please get in touch if your preferred online platform is not listed here – I’ll see what I can do!
Read more non-fiction about the natural world:
Have You Read This 