Solace : Life, loss and the healing power of nature

‘Calms the mind and soothes the soul’Alice TaylorOn her soulful journey, writer and photographer Catherine Drea reflects on childhood and adult loss, the healing power of family and community and ageing. Her lens captures fleeting moments in nature – the light in the landscape, the lie of the land, our precious wildlife. A balm for the soul.

Solace is that feeling of calm and comfort, that sense of peace that is all around us when we are open to finding it. Writer and photographer Catherine Drea explores the solace to be found in nature and creativity. She reflects on loss, the cycle of life and the healing power of family and community. She muses on the joy of finding a place to call home, the escape that travel brings and the exhilaration of plunging into our waters – all the while embracing the therapeutic power of observing the ordinary and the everyday. With the passing seasons, her camera captures fleeting moments in nature – the light and lie of the land with its precious wildlife: among them sentinel robins, elusive Irish hares and serene swans. Solace is quite simply a balm for the soul. ‘In this beautiful book Catherine Drea explores deeply emotive issues, calms the mind, soothes the soul, and focuses her sensitive lens on the wonders of the natural world.’Alice Taylor, author of To School through the Fields