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Homesick

Why I Live in a Shed

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Homesick

By: Catrina Davies
Narrated by: Catrina Davies
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About this listen

The story of a personal housing crisis that led to a discovery of the true value of home.

Aged 31, Catrina Davies was renting a box-room in a house in Bristol, which she shared with four other adults and a child. Working several jobs and never knowing if she could make the rent, she felt like she was breaking apart.

Homesick for the landscape of her childhood, in the far west of Cornwall, Catrina decides to give up the box-room and face her demons. As a child, she saw her family and their security torn apart; now, she resolves to make a tiny, dilapidated shed a home of her own.

With the freedom to write, surf and make music, Catrina rebuilds the shed and, piece by piece, her own sense of self. On the border of civilisation and wilderness, between the woods and the sea, she discovers the true value of home, while trying to find her place in a fragile natural world.

This is the story of a personal housing crisis and a country-wide one, grappling with class, economics, mental health and nature. It shows how housing can trap us or set us free, and what it means to feel at home. This audio edition includes music by Catrina Davies.

©2019 Catrina Davies (P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited Ecosystems & Habitats Law Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Sustainable & Green Living Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

"You will marvel at the beauty of this book, and rage at the injustice it reveals." (George Monbiot)

"Incredibly moving. To find peace and a sense of home after a life so profoundly affected by the housing crisis, is truly inspirational." (Raynor Winn, best-selling author of The Salt Path)
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These personal stories always seem voyeuristic in nature but in the knowledge that we have been invited into the person's life. I love the idea of living in basic simplicity, even whilst acknowledging the injustice which creates such need in this case. The book kept me hooked despite feeling at times the pain and destitution that it engendered.

Sad and enthralling in equal measure

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I loved this book, which echoes so many of my own feelings about the housing crisis in the UK. The Authors voice is so pleasant and calming to listen to, and I think it adds something that she was reading her own book. The story was interesting and with lots of funny (if sometimes sarcastic! ) quips thrown in. would definitely recommend everyone reads this book 💛🏠🛖

A Great Book

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I listened to this during lockdown and it made me realise how much we all need to simplify our lives to acquire true happiness. Honestly this book has changed my life.

Tender and thought provoking

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Unexpectedly charming and very evocative of Cornwall. The writer does paint a very precise picture of shed life.
Initially I was irritated by the apparently extreme self absorption of the writer but as she learns and grows, the book mellows and improves.

Stay with this book - it gets better

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I came across this book after reading the salt path by Raynor Wynn which I loved. This book is also wonderful with vivid descriptions of the Cornish countryside and coast. Really felt like I was there. Catrina reads it beautifully and understated, like listening to a friend. Delicate, insightful of her journey and the unfairness of the housing situation in the UK and consumerism in general. I’m a new fan now. I very much look forward to hearing more from her.

Beautiful, insightful book

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