The Wild Wandering Arc: A Journey Through Vanlife, Nature & Love
An unflinchingly raw look at life on the road through the lens of a single mother rediscovering herself.
When my 10-year-old son moved in with his father, I followed my long-dormant wanderlust from a conventional small town rental situation to full time vanlife with my partner.
As we explored sacred sites and alternative communities, got close up to nature, and experienced spontaneous living on the edge, I embarked on an inner healing journey of confronting the wounds of my past and the grief of being separated from my son.
This is a memoir woven through with magic and wildness; an exploration of what is both lost and found in apparent freedom.
Reader Love
"This book wowed me from the first page. I’m not really a new age person, though I’m intellectually curious, but I always wanted to know more about the realities of van life.
Morgan’s heartfelt and deeply poetic writing just drew me in from the shock of the first page (a visceral account of her and her lover colliding with proximity issues, baring themselves literally and figuratively) to the deeply honest reflections on her relationship with her son. Having a little boy of my own now, reading about how he chose to live with his father and Morgan’s grief around that brought me to tears on a few occasions.
She brings the natural world into sharp focus - for anyone, who, like me had never been brave enough to cut the tethers of your life and just go on an adventure, this is a deeply meaningful book.
It reminded me of Into The Wild but in a way that was much more relatable as Morgan’s got so much self doubt and self awareness. She really goes deep into her motivations, examining the inner workings of her heart when she makes the decision to leave everything she’s known after 10 years of being a near single parent.
A stunning book that will take you on a fabulous journey - without you having to leave the comfort of your ‘regular’ home…or it might just make you want to cut a few cords yourself and leap into the unknown.
A life changing, thought-provoking read."
~ Sara-Mae Tuson, writer, editor, copywriter, award-winning podcast producer
"I didn’t want this book to end. It’s been one of the best reading journeys I’ve been on for a long time …
A woman in her late 30’s loses her house and also her full-time parent role as her son chose to live with his dad. She moves into a camper van with her new partner and embarks on a journey all over the English countryside.
While having the whole nature as an ever-changing garden, the space in the van is very cramped. She struggles with practical stuff and finding time for herself and her writing, but there are also many magic moments of connecting with nature, oneself and each other.
I was totally impressed by the details of and the honesty in this true life story. It feels like I’m on that journey too, through all the changing seasons both in nature and in the body and mind.
Reading this book helped me make the decision to move to the countryside. It might be tough but also worth the experience.
Thank you so much for this beautifully written book."
~ Louise Halvardsson, award-winning author.
"They say to be careful what you wish for, and in this account of her life with a new partner in close (and occasionally suffocating) proximity, the author discovers that some elements of the hippie dream aren't all they cracked up to be.
It is a fascinating journey of discovery, unflinchingly told, from the horrors of having your partner's bottom in your face whilst attempting to have a poo, to the delights of skinny-dipping in wild lakes and relishing in taking the time to just be. It's also a story of adjusting to distant parenthood, from the novel perspective of a mother.
Overall, for the details of van life and for the deep honesty in which the author shares her experience, it makes for gripping and illuminating reading."
~ Dave Todd, musician & author of 'By the time I got to Woodstock, there was just me'.
"Captivating. I was involved from the first paragraph. It’s so sensory and vivid. Moving, inspiring, and so honest. It has SO much to offer the reader."
~ Lesley Hughes
"This is a heartful, honest and witty portrayal of an edge dweller and a way of living in and on our beautiful land. I felt very much like I too was in the ramshackle van rolling along in this adventure."
~ Wendy Quelch
"Raw, real, beautifully written."
~ Sarah Samuel
"I can’t put it down. It is written from the heart and with courage. I deeply appreciate this."
~ Veronique Cliquet
"An amazing command over language and storytelling. To hear you speaking your truths with such depth is inspirational."
~ Lindi Lu