Pathfinding: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom

by Kerri Andrews

The desire to walk is something that defines us, bringing joy, connection and freedom. But what happens to all this when we become mothers?

From the author of Wanderers, comes an urgent exploration of what it means to rediscover ourselves through the land we walk and the people we walk alongside.

___

In the wake of the complete metamorphosis of becoming a mother, Kerri Andrews determines to undertake a series of journeys on foot to understand what has happened to her.


Alongside a backpack full of supplies, Kerri carries with her the shadow of post-natal depression and the idea that maybe the hills are no longer for those, like her, who bear the mental and physical scars of childbearing and childrearing.


Yet, what she soon discovers are tales of mother-walkers that have long been neglected or hidden away. From Mary Wollstonecraft and Ellen Weeton to Kate Chopin, here are women whose urgent stories offer new ways of stepping into motherhood.


As Kerri traverses urban, rural and increasingly mountainous landscapes in the North West and Scotland, she is joined by women who have also experienced the profound changes that having children can bring to bodies and minds. Together, they explore the complicated ground of motherhood today – balancing enormous responsibility and upheaval with ambition, rage and hope – creating new paths as they go.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature

201 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2025

About the author

Dr. Kerri Andrews is the author of Wanderers: A History of Women Walking and the compiler of Nan Shepherd’s Correspondence: 1920-1980. She was also the consultant for the play Nan Shepherd: Naked and Unashamed by Richard Baron and Ellee Zeegen, staged by Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 2024 and 2025.

Reviews

[Kirsten]

Kerri Andrews ist immer gewandert, aber als sie Mutter wurde, hatte sie das Gefühl, dass sie ihre geliebten Berge für sie unerreichbar waren. Während sie in ihrer Schwangerschaft noch wanderte, schien es als Mutter ein unerreichbarer Traum zu sein. Ihr Leben wurde nicht nur von ihr bestimmt, sondern von den Bedürfnissen ihres Kindes.

"Der einzige Teil von mir, der wirklich noch mir gehörte, war mein Verstand." Dieser Satz klingt hart, aber wahrscheinlich kann ihn jede Mutter verstehen. Schwangerschaft und Geburt verändern einen. Wenn dann noch das nicht mehr geht, was für einen Ausgleich sorgen könnte, wird es schwer. Für Kerri war es das besonders und lange Zeit hat sie sich nicht wie eine echte Mutter gefühlt, sondern wie eine Person, die eine Mutter spielte.

Die Rückkehr zu der Frau, die durch die Natur gewandert ist, kam langsam. Der erste Schritt waren Berichte von Schriftstellerinnen, die Mütter waren und gewandert sind. Dann kamen die ersten Spaziergänge: alleine, aber auch mit anderen Müttern. Die Unterhaltungen mit diesen Frauen haben ihr genauso geholfen wie die Tatsache, dass sie endlich wieder in Wanderschuhen unterwegs war. Manchmal müssen es nicht die langen oder spektakulären Touren sein, sondern es sind die Menschen, mit denen man unterwegs ist.

Kerri Andrews hat ein sehr ehrliches Buch geschrieben. Aber diese Ehrlichkeit ist nötig, um zu zeigen, wie schwer der Weg manchmal sein kann, um die Frau wiederzufinden, die hinter der Mutter zurückgetreten ist.

[Suzy]

I loved this look into motherhood and regaining who you are after having kids. As a mother I related to this immensely. I liked the paths, literal and figuratively, that she found along this journey.
She didn't really find a way back to herself per say as she is a different person now, but found a way forward.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

[Amrita K]

[3.5* rounded up to 4] God, I love a book about walking. This one was brutally real. Interspersed with some prosaic writing, almost academic. The references to other writers, and the explanations and arguments laid out, didn't always have a smooth cohesion with the throughline of Andrews' walks with various other mothers - but I did enjoy the concept, and it largely worked. The latter chapters, which were more close descriptions of the slog of the walk, were my favourites.

[Alexander Petkovski]

Pathfinding by Kerri Andrews is a nonfiction memoir that I really enjoyed. The book follows the author, who is deeply passionate about walking, as she embarks on various journeys through the Scottish Highlands. However, the book mainly explores two key themes.

The first part focuses on the author's experience with postnatal depression after having two children in her thirties. She shares how this period caused her to stop walking, along the other struggles she faced in coping with it. The second part highlights the healing power of walking how it helped her regain her sense of self, and ultimately become a better mother.

I chose to read this book because I am a huge fan of walking and enjoy slightly challenging journeys. Plus. the idea of exploring Scotland on foot is something that really excites me. Another aspect I found interesting was how the author puts in examples of other writers throughout history who have written about their love of walking. Overall, I really enjoyed Pathfinding. It made me more aware of the walking journeys I want to plan and inspired me to pursue them even more.

[Christina]

Pathfinding by Kerri Andrews is a deeply resonant exploration of motherhood, identity, and the healing power of walking. As a new mother myself, I found Andrews’s honesty about post-natal depression and the whirlwind of emotions that follow childbirth both validating and courageous. Her willingness to name the guilt, rage, hope, and ambition that accompany motherhood feels refreshingly real—and a vital contribution to normalizing the full spectrum of maternal experience.

Andrews’s journeys on foot—from urban streets to rugged Scottish hills—mirror her inward quest to rediscover herself and her passions. Along the way, she shines a light on overlooked “mother-walkers” like Mary Wollstonecraft and Kate Chopin, whose stories enrich our understanding of women’s history and the profound bond between women and the land.

Pathfinding is a heartfelt call to all mothers: embrace your feelings without shame, lean into community, and remember that the path back to yourself may be the one you walk.

[Debbie]

Awesome book… a mix of reflections on motherhood, walking treks in Uk and stories from the past of female walkers. I loved the mix of topics and the intrepid stories from the past of strong female mothers and things they had to endure. Great writing, love to hear more from this author. Thank you to the author. Thank you to # NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[Emilie]

In Pathfinding, Kerri Andrews takes us through the intense ups and downs of her pregnancy and early motherhood. Feeling disconnected from her previous life as a hillwalker, she begins to uncover the hidden stories of other mothers who have walked before her, realising there may be a way back to adventure and to herself. Kerri begins small, with walks along beaches and in cities, joined by women whose lives have also been reshaped by motherhood. Gradually, as her journeys grow bolder, drawing her back to the valleys and peaks of her past, a new path begins to open. It is a journey that offers the possibility of reclaiming both the mountains and her freedom.

Review
Pathfinding is a remarkably strong, powerful and fiercely honest book. Kerri Andrews does not sugarcoat her experiences; she speaks openly about navigating a difficult pregnancy and the raw realities of the first few years of motherhood, including postnatal depression, anger, guilt and an aching desire to return to the freedom of the mountains.

Reading this book felt deeply validating. It beautifully addresses the true hormonal and identity transition of becoming a mother (the way your brain is completely rewired) and the grief of losing yourself as you transition into an entirely new person, subjects that antenatal classes rarely prepare you for. In a social media culture that constantly promotes a flawless "rebound" (physically, mentally and socially) where everyone pretends to be doing perfectly well, Kerry breaks through the isolation by putting real, raw feelings on display.

Ultimately, this book provides immense courage and hope, reminding us that we can find our way back to ourselves and look forward to future adventures. It is an essential read during pregnancy or early parenthood to prepare for the reality that things might not go as expected, ensuring new mothers do not feel shame for their very real emotions. Reading this book took me straight back to my own early motherhood struggles. It mirrored the immense difficulty of those first few months/years after my daughter was born, and gave me hope and ambition.

[Anna]

Where to begin... Kerri Andrews managed to capture the profound transformation of motherhood with such raw honesty and poetic beauty in Pathfinding, that it took me by complete surprise. A beautifully written memoir interwoven with history and landscape writing, Andrews takes us on a deeply personal journey, physical and emotional, as she walks through the complexities of postpartum life, identity and resilience.

At its core, Pathfinding is a story of rediscovery. With the weight of postnatal depression pressing on her, Andrews embarks on a series of walks, questioning whether the freedom of the hills still belongs to her as a mother. What unfolds is a journey of self-reclamation, with a courageous honesty, at times heart-wrenching, yet ultimately hopeful.

One of the book’s most compelling aspects is its connection to other women and those who have walked before us. Through the stories of women like Mary Wollstonecraft and Kate Chopin, Andrews reveals a rich but often hidden history of mothers of walks, showing that the struggle to balance motherhood with personal freedom is not new. These narratives is what makes Pathfinding more than just one woman’s memoir, it becomes a collective story of strength and survival.

She captures the landscapes she walks through with breathtaking clarity, making the reader feel the air, the terrain, and the shifting emotions accompanying each step. How I wish she had included photos!

Pathfinding is an honest, brave, and beautifully written book that speaks to the heart of what it means to be a mother, a woman, and a seeker of freedom. It is a memoir that lingers long after the last page, inviting us to consider the power of movement in reclaiming ourselves. A must-read for anyone who has ever felt lost in the transition to motherhood or who finds solace in walking as a form of self-discovery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott Thompson for the ARC!

[Lucy Woolley]

I live on the other side of the world, but Kerri Andrews' experience of becoming a mother, losing part of the identity she had felt previously as a walker, and then figuring out how to return to it, in some way, with the kids or leaving them behind, was in many ways very similar to my own. I resonated strongly with the author's journey, and also appreciated the stories of other mother walkers woven in. Most I'd come across before, in my own postpartum search for others navigating this particular juggle, but some were new. I particularly appreciated the quotes from Dorothy Wordsworth about walking with her nephew - I think Aunts supporting mothers don't get enough recognition in the books I've read at least!

[kellymross]

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is raw and the exploration of past writings from fellow walkers was woven in very well. I wish there were pictures included in the book! The writing was lovely and I bet pictures from Kerri's walks would be beautiful too. This book raises many problematic issues that mothers face when the mothering journey begins. The challenges only get harder to navigate, and, in some ways, the support becomes even less available. This is a really touching and relatable read. Big thanks to the author for her vulnerable work. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

[Carolyn]

Kerri's writing vividly captures the dilemmas and transitions mothers go through during and after having children. She paints a vivid picture of the mental and physical toll these changes can have on a new mother and how society's expectations and treatment of new mothers can exacerbate them. I love her knitting of the lives of other mothers from history into how she develops an understanding of her experiences as a mother and the thread through it all of walking and its ability to bring perspective, understanding and healing.

[Emi Dabell]

there was a slow start to this book and at first i found it quite boring
however i really came to appreciate her descriptions of motherhood and nature and her journey was very inspiring
it was a weird format though bc it was a memoir but then it was non fiction referencing several female walkers of the past but it also read like fiction ?? So that confused me

[Silvia Traverso]

Sicuramente è un libro interessante, soprattutto se si conosce la Scozia , poiché attraverso le camminate dell'autrice si ripercorrono paesaggi degni di nota. Forse è poco approfondita la parte sulla maternità e alcuni spunti potevano essere sviluppati maggiormente .

[Yvonne Garner]

Gifted by Elliott and Thompson. ' one Mothers journey from wilderness to freedom' non fiction out in paperback 14th for Maternal Mental Health week. I read it in a time I personally needed it. Gave me hope.