{"title":"Books by Vicky Allan","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781785306235","title":"Take Me to the River","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eImmerse yourself in an ocean of great literature.\u003c\/b\u003e Gasp at the cold with \u003cb\u003eAmy Liptrot\u003c\/b\u003e. Be transfixed by \u003cb\u003eIris Murdoch's\u003c\/b\u003e monster rising from the waves. Learn how to swim like the frogs with \u003cb\u003eJohn Muir\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eCome on, dive in.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA selection of joyful, immersive and life-affirming writing about wild swimming. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom gentle dips in calm waters to fights for survival in stormy seas. From the erotic charge of a streamlined body to moments of revelation amidst the waves . . . \u003ci\u003eTake Me to the River\u003c\/i\u003e is an anthology not just of wild swimming writing, but of stories of how a jump into deep waters can change us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOpen water swimming plays a pivotal role in many great narratives, taking us on an immersive journey, from Homer's Odyssey to contemporary poetry and memoirs. There is adventure here and aquatic playfulness. Grief and anguish, too; heartbreaks displaced and healed by watery spaces. Love and desire spark between characters at the edge of the water, as does freedom from constraint and the glorious energy of possibility and hope.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTake Me to the River \u003c\/i\u003eentices with a dip into the deep sea of words. 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From the otherworldly fens of the east to the vast dramatic waters of the Lake District, the thundering icy waterfalls of Snowdonia to the secluded sandy coves of Cornwall. Locals who know the secrets of their patch share over 100 spectacular swim spots across England and Wales. Now they are yours to explore too.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304577347957,"sku":"9781785303593","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781785303593_7d88ce42-9c89-4794-89e5-ac5cf6b809e9.jpg?v=1786025450"},{"product_id":"9781785305702","title":"Swimming Wild Ireland","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEACH OF US IS JUST A DROP.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBUT TOGETHER WE CREATE RIPPLES.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Menopausal Mermaids, Blueballs, Viking Dippers, Cold Water Tingz, the Ripple Effect . . . These are just some of the names of Ireland's wild swimming groups and they all have a story to tell.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWild swimming is a movement, a wave that has surged around the shorelines of the island of Ireland - and it's not just about the activity, but about doing it together . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSwimming Wild Ireland\u003c\/i\u003e dives into what makes these communities tick, on a journey that reveals why so many people say it's not only about the water but also about the companionship of swim friends and the joy of finding your tribe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305172775285,"sku":"9781785305702","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781785305702_5a64a91e-eb25-4b09-8f6c-4d422ceff365.jpg?v=1786025536"},{"product_id":"9781785303609","title":"The Art of Wild Swimming: Scotland","description":"What makes the perfect swim?It's all about the most magical locations (and how to protect them), finessing your kitbag, keeping yourself and others safe ... and maybe discovering a nice place for a warm-up cuppa and cake.   Whether you're a seasoned dipper or a fledgling, The Art of Wild Swimming is the ultimate guide to becoming an awesome, joyful and responsible swimmer.   From the dramatic turquoise bays of Orkney to the peaty lochs of the Cairngorms, the thundering waterfalls of Skye to the calm depths of a reservoir in the Pentlands. Locals who know the secrets of their patch share over 100 spectacular dookin' spots across Scotland. Now they are yours to explore too.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305289691509,"sku":"9781785303609","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781785303609_6573a20c-2828-482d-b7c3-4afb2e315f0d.jpg?v=1786034226"},{"product_id":"9781785303371","title":"STILL HOT!","description":"Every menopause has its own story. It's time we told them . . .   The menopause. What even is it? One big theme unites Still Hot!'s 42 stories - that, somehow, the world doesn't ready us for this. The menopause - let alone the perimenopause - simply isn't talked about; instead, it's reduced to a comic hot flush. More and more of us are proudly stepping free of the menopausal closet, but the Big M is still a conversation whispered below the radar. No one tells you it will be like this. No one prepares you for it.   That silence is lifting, slowly. So let's be bold, let's overshare. Let's find solidarity among Still Hot!'s myriad voices - wise, rebellious, measured, fierce, upfront - telling how the menopause is not just one story, but many. Telling, in fact, that this is not the menopause, it is YOUR menopause.   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