Walking into Alchemy:
The Transformative Power of Nature
by Amelia Marriette
Walking into Alchemy: The Transformative Power of Nature
I wrote Walking into Alchemy because redundancy left me unanchored just as I was fortunate enough to relocate to Austria. I arrived in a new country with no job, no structure, and no clear way to use my time. As a Keeper of Art, I turned to the advice of the contemporary artists I had worked with and began my project without knowing the outcome. So, in the last week of the year, I walked the first 13 miles of what would become a weekly ritual and thought, why don’t I walk the same route 52 times?
That simple decision gave me the scaffolding: each walk became a way to observe the Alpine landscape and the shifting seasons: the joy of snow underfoot in winter, the ringing of cowbells across hot summer fields led me to link these sounds to Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. I learned about local flora and fauna, the weather patterns, and the Catholic traditions and saints' days that shape the rhythm of life in Austria. I also found myself thinking about my father’s time at RAF Klagenfurt, and how place, memory, and history link us across generations.
As I walked, my mind wandered freely. I recalled moments from my own life, my love of Shakespeare, and in a chapter called Suspension, I linked Coleridge’s idea of the suspension of disbelief to a field of cobwebs. I also faced my redundancy and the depression that followed. Somewhere in my weekly ritual of walking, I realised I was recovering. Walking the same path 52 times taught me that repetition can reveal change, and that paying attention to the natural world can transform a life.
The “alchemy” in the title reflects the sense that with every step, I was turning lead into gold. Each sunrise and sunset reminded me that we are offered the chance to begin again every day. The book is, in the end, a record of how the Austrian landscape, its mountains, valleys, traditions, and seasons, became both companion and catalyst in that transformation
Walking into Alchemy can sit in a rucksack or on a bedside table. In it, I share what I found in the hills and forests of Southern Austria, and readers may find echoes in their own landscapes or lives.
If you have read this far, you might want to watch the drone film of my walk below.
Where to Buy
Walking into Alchemy
If you order from me, you will receive a deluxe edition with 53 colour photographs. It is a super good-looking book—I take no credit for this. My publisher did a brilliant job! I hope you are tempted to buy directly from me because I am a writer and I like to connect with my readers. In his book Howards End, E.M. Forster chose the two-word tagline for his novel, "only connect." I think, as two-word taglines go, that's pretty profound. I receive letters, emails and messages from my readers from all over the world. This is one of the things that makes the loneliness of writing worthwhile - but I can also drink tea whenever I want to, that's also good! You can, of course, get a print-on-demand (POD) edition, but the images will be in black and white. You can order a print-on-demand (POD) copy from all independent bookshops and other booksellers worldwide, because you may prefer to support the little guys rather than Amazon.
You can buy one of my deluxe editions here today, safely and securely, for £15.00 - including Free P&P in the UK and EU.
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You can also buy a copy of my book as an E-book - PDF - in full colour or an EPUB - Kindle version as an immediate download directly from me using Paypal or a Bank Card for only 1.99! which is cheaper than Amazon.
Do you live in Austria?
You can buy a special full-colour edition of
Walking into Alchemy in Wolfsberg, Vienna and Salzburg
Shakespeare & Company Booksellers, Vienna
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
The English Center, Salzburg
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International Reviews
Gscene Magazine, Brighton, January 2021, Reviewed by Eric Page
"Perhaps this is the book we all need after The Virus has left us bruised and learning that the simple act of walking in nature can give us the things we most need and desire."
International Amazon Review, Diana Sweeney, 20th February 2020
...like many of Shakespeare's characters, Marriette wanders into the forest and finds herself transformed having discovered that beauty and hope are still abundant in this damaged world."
Commenting on The Guardian Newspaper's suggestions for books to read during the COVID-19 lockdown - one reader said, "This book surpassed my expectations and is beautiful and inspiring in equal measure. A must-read from a new author with sublime storytelling and insight."
What people are saying about
Walking into Alchemy
(Please note that all my reviews are 100% genuine - I would never pay for a review)
Goodreads 5-star reviews
In this ethereal book, Amelia Marriette beautifully evokes the outer landscape of Carinthia, where she and her partner have made their home, from the hills and woods to the smallest flower, and also the inner landscape of a person healing through walking. The rhythm of the repeated journey across the seasons is soothing, poetic and ultimately uplifting.
Matthew Brockington - Apr 15, 2024
This book is a treasure trove of delights. On the surface it feels like a therapeutic journey from poor health into wellness, it’s also an ode to the beauty of the seasons. Also thrown in are endless additional gems of knowledge which add so much joy to the already wonderful adventure into the gift of walking.
Sophie, - March 29, 2023
never thought it'd be possible to enjoy such a simple book as this one, but I did. It's quite impressive how a book with such a simple concept — one woman walking the same path 52 times — could bring you joy, but in a world such as ours, when we're always busy and running from one thing to the next, it has —, and it does.
Bernadette Giacomazzo Author of 5 books - Apr 09, 2023
It was amazing! Discovered this book quite by accident, although I have a keen interest in history, walking, travel, the Alps and Austria, so this was an absorbing read. I felt I was being personally guided through the seasons by a clear and engaging voice that was vulnerable and curious about the nature of the journey undertaken. Since bought it twice over for friends as gifts. Highly recommend.
P. Friel - Jan 05, 2023
I started walking last year and felt so much better for it and reading this book has inspired me to start again. 'Walking into Alchemy' is a personal story of rediscovery and personal growth that would resonate with most people. Life gets the better of us all sometimes, but we persevere, and sometimes the darkest moments lead us to beautiful destinations. This is a story of realisation and new beginnings. I loved reading Marriette’s journey. I felt I was with her all the way. A motivational, humble, and immersive read - loved it!
Hannah - @hanupnorth, 8th May 2022
Amelia Marriette’s book ‘Walking into Alchemy’ is one to savour and delay finishing too soon. Each walk is an outward and inward journey of emotional and physical transformation that can’t help but transform the reader as well. Amelia’s use of history, botany, the weather, and thought is delivered in a style that makes her words seem like the paint on the end of a painter’s brush, forming images of a land and people through the focal of her soul. Both a travel book as well as a work of philosophy her book needs to be read by all of us who delight in walks of nature as well as the mind. I highly recommend her book for anyone on life’s journey.”
Paul Evers, Fiji, Author and Arborist, 6th December 2021
Amelia’s book offers an altogether new and fresh perspective on the region where I grew up. I find this to be fantastic and it’s also very important! Nature is there for everybody; it has the beauty and power to conquer a heart.
Lili, Austria, 20th October 2021
From the moment I picked this book up, I was hooked. It has such depth, is rich with descriptions and is packed with information about Austria, birds and flowers. A fabulous turn-your-life-around-book with poignant stop-and-think moments. Read it, because you won’t regret it.
Kaz Pritchard, UK, 17th February 2021
I found Amelia through the Facebook page One Million Women Walking. It's a scary world right now, and Amelia's writing took me away from reading news and transported me to nature…a wonderful journal that records Amelia's walks, with great descriptions of what she sees and how the walking project in it and of itself was a transformative process.
Marian Pesala, USA, 16th January 2021
refreshing and honest … had me amazed … courageous and inspiring …something for everyone … I‘m looking forward to reading more of her work.
Claudia Kronlechner, Austria, 12 May 2020
beautifully illustrates a journey both physically and mentally … written with honesty... and, of course, love.
Helen Trankle, UK, 5 May 2020
a gently transformative book … solace for your soul … I heartily endorse this book … thoughtful, considered and eloquent.
Jacquie Walters, New Zealand, 7 March 2020
amazing …This book is an experience. Its pace and structure almost force you to take a breath, slow down and notice the world. … Highly recommended
Kerry Carruthers, UK, 16 Feb 2020
having now finished this beautiful book I wished there was more! Forget “Eat, Pray, Love”, this is Walk, Discover, Grow.
Jackie, UK, 12 Jan 2020
delightful read and a Christmas present that I will cherish … Don't just read it yourself, buy a copy for a friend or someone you love.
Gillian A. Agopsowicz, UK, 3 Jan 2020
hard to put down … a truly inspirational read … it shows us that there is hope, and that better things are around the corner if we are willing to take chances.
Sharon Probert, UK, 28 Dec 2019
Amazon 5-star reviews
It is a success on many levels, astonishingly so when one considers it basically describes the same walk 52 times over. How could that be anything but repetitive and dull? Well, Amelia has certainly cracked it with sensitive descriptions, attention to details which most people would never have noticed, and an easy style that keeps one reading.
Chris Fletcher, UK, 18th January 2021
wonderful … inspiring … deserves to be read.
Patrick Kincaid, UK, Author of The Continuity Girl, 30 July 2020
a truly uplifting and engrossing read … inspirational … story of how she found love, moves country and finds peace by walking in the countryside every week for a year … love, healing and happiness. It even has pictures
Clare Shepherd, UK, 9 Feb 2020
inspiring … joyful … Could not put this book down. If you are stuck in a rut, lost, depressed, need guidance and ideas this is the book for you … beautifully demonstrates the power of walking and nature … A book to share with the ones you love.
Jack Sprat, UK, 26 Jan 2020
what a lovely book! … motivation to start recovering/re-energising yourself … great writing - then this is the book for you.
Solitaire Townsend, UK, 23 Jan 2020
an inspirational read … Her references are accessible … an easy read full of information and enlightenment.
Am Pulford, UK, 16 Jan 2020
could not put it down - a must-read for anyone interested in relocation and new beginnings … really addictive read … inspiring.
The Mamahood, UK, 30 Dec 2019
Walking into a new future … What a wonderful book … a book I will come back to again and again.
27 Dec 2019, USA, Kindle Customer
Read, reflect and enjoy! … well written … wonderful tales of nature, fulfilment, change and spiritual awakening … you become immersed in a delightful new world, away from it all.
AM, New Zealand, 10 Dec 2019