Description

An honest, radical and moving account of life off the grid.

It was 11pm when I checked my email for the last time and turned off my phone for what I hoped would be forever.

No running water, no car, no electricity or any of the things it powers: the internet, phone, washing machine, radio or light bulb. Just a wooden cabin, on a smallholding, by the edge of a stand of spruce.

In this upfront and lyrical account of a remarkable life without modern technology, Mark Boyle explores the hard won joys of building a home with his bare hands, learning to make fire, collecting water from the spring, foraging and fishing.

What he finds is an elemental life, one governed by the rhythms of the sun and seasons, where life and death dance in a primal landscape of blood, wood, muck, water, and fire – much the same life we have lived for most of our time on earth. Revisiting it brings a deep insight into what it means to be human at a time when the boundaries between man and machine are blurring.

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‘Boyle’s memoir of his first year off-grid is fascinating… A poetic meditation on the almost-mystical benefits of falling in sync with nature.’ -New Statesman

‘A warts-and-all look at an extreme way of life, but one that, by the end of this engrossing book, makes the world around it seem dysfunctional.’ -Irish Independent, BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019

‘A beautiful and thought-provoking story that will inspire you to live differently. Mark asks the most fundamental questions then sets out to live the answers.’ Lily Cole, model and activist

Publisher Review

'A warts-and-all look at an extreme way of life, but one that, by the end of this engrossing book, makes the world around it seem dysfunctional' * Irish Independent, BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 * '[An] honest and lyrical account of a remarkable life without technology' -- Carlow People 'Boyle's memoir of his first year off-grid is fascinating... A poetic meditation on the almost-mystical benefits of falling in sync with nature.' * New Statesman * '[A] reflective, lyrical account... This genuine, warm-hearted analysis of the dysfunctions of our current world offers a surprisingly alluring alternative to our current malaise - if only we dared adopt it.' * Manchan Magan, Irish Times * 'Don't buy my books: buy this instead, while there's still time for you to change. This one matters. Boyle is the real thing: vital, angry, and kind. And real things are terribly rare. You might think his ideas are dangerous, but in fact they represent the only possible safety.' -- Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast 'A beautiful and thought-provoking story that will inspire you to live differently. Mark asks the most fundamental questions then sets out to live the answers.' -- Lily Cole 'A revealing, humorous and deeply endearing witness statement on behalf of lovely, dirty reality.' -- Jay Griffiths, author of Wild: An Elemental Journey 'Illustrates beautifully that giving up many of the things in life that we treat as indispensable may actually be less of a sacrifice than a liberation.' -- Neil Ansell, author of Deep Country 'The Way Home paints a picture not only of how broken our culture has become, but of how to begin building a new one. It demands to be read - and then lived by.' -- Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake and Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist 'This memoir about living off the grid and tech-free in County Galway will inspire, connect and slow down the most impatient of readers, and that is a very good thing.' * Shelf Awareness * 'Boyle knows few people can live like he does, but positive change seems inevitable if one follows his advice to resist material trappings, revolt against industrial ecological damage, and re-wild landscapes. Boyle's anti-technology stance upsets many, making this a must-read.' * Booklist * 'In a world more connected than ever before we have never been so disconnected. By shaking off technologies of modern man and stepping back in time, Boyle shows the hardships and beauty of living with the seasons. A thought-provoking read which encourages the reader to appreciate many of the things we take for granted and question the way we live in the modern world.' -- Megan Hine, author of Mind of a Survivor