Winter by Val McDermid | A Seasonal Living Book Review
One of the joyous things about seeking a slower and simpler life alongside the rhythms of the natural world, is reading books in the seasons for which they were written. With its snow-laden images of a childhood of which we all dream, Arthur Ransome’s children’s classic, Winter Holiday, is a book to be read in winter - and Val McDermid’s Winter, the fourth in this series from Hodder Press, can justifiably join it.
In a season which demands of us little other than to slow down to rest, and to turn inwards, there is perhaps nothing better than getting cosy, and retreating indoors with a good book.
Winter Landscapes and Memories
Known primarily for her crime writing, McDermid evokes a poetic sense of a Scottish winter - the changing light, the descending frost, and the foreboding chill of a deep north wind.In this book, McDermid perhaps shows a softer side, as she recalls childhood winters, remembering with wonder, the rituals of a Scottish season in which it’s impossible to live without consideration of the weather and natural world in which it is embedded. She digs deep in her memory, recalling with poignancy - and often humour - a childhood world which seems lost to the mists of time.
Festivals, Firelight, and Tradition
If you read my previous review of Peter Ross’ book, Upon a White Horse, then you’ll know that immersing ourselves in the lives of our ancestors - and the landscapes in which they lived - offers us a rich history peppered with rituals and traditions. In Val McDermid’s Winter, they are all here - Bonfire Night, Christmas, Burns Night, and the unmistakably Scottish, Up Helly Aa. As much as we retreat indoors during winter, the season also challenges us to seek community - to seek light in the darkness - just as our ancestors have done since the beginning of time.
A Season for Creativity and Retreat
McDermid describes the way in which the seasons shape her creative work as a writer. Immersing herself in the winter darkness, her next book is born - first as jottings in notebooks, but slowly and gently, nurtured into life, not with urgency or productivity, but with a creative rhythm borne of the season itself. She offers us all a gentle reminder that in the darkness, a spark appears - a light to take forward into the new calendar year ahead, something I wrote about in this post over on Rediscover · Reconnect · Re-Emerge.
Closing Reflections
For many, winter can be a challenging time - the cold and the low light levels, never mind the pressure of a busy season often laden with commitments left, right and centre. In Val McDermid’s Winter, we can find a heartwarming way to reconnect with this much maligned season - slowly, simply, and alongside the ebb and flow of the natural world.
If you’re looking for a way to deepen your understanding of the seasons, and maybe even connect with the rituals and traditions of the past, you will find yourself immersed in this highly evocative and readable book. If you can, read it whilst there’s still time, or if not, treasure it to read next winter.
Winter by Val McDermid was published in hardback in 2025 by Hodder Press, ISBN 9781399743136.
I was gifted this copy for my birthday, but I do accept books for review if they are in keeping with the themes of A Life More Creative. If you would like me to consider a title, please see my Reviews Policy for more details and get in touch here.
I wonder what memories you hold of winters in the past, of the rituals and traditions of the places where you grew up? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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