Map for the Heart

Discover the profound essence of nature and community in 'Map for the Heart', a remarkable collection of essays by writer Jillian Sullivan. This paperback edition, measuring 230 x 150 mm, contains 280 pages filled with insightful reflections inspired by the breathtaking landscapes of Central Otago. Join Sullivan as she journeys through the Ida Valley, exploring the majestic Manuherekia River and its connection to the broader Clutha/Mata-au. Through her intimate narratives, she delves into themes of love, loss, and our relationship with the environment, emphasizing how our shared histories and experiences shape our understanding of community and meaningful living. Each essay is a lyrical homage to the seasonal dance of light and nature, offering a unique perspective on healing and self-discovery. Sullivan's writing is both psychologically nurturing and deeply observant, leading readers to confront essential questions of existence: who to love, how to nurture relationships, and how to honor both independence and connection. 'Map for the Heart' invites you to appreciate the delicate balance between humanity and nature, reminding us that we are stewards of the land, intimately woven into its fabric. This is not just a book; it’s an exploration of life's intricacies, making it a vital addition to the literary genre that thoughtfully merges history, memoir, and environmental appreciation.

Author: Jillian Sullivan Publisher: Otago University Press
Bind: paperback
Dimensions: 230 x 150 mm
Pages: 280


To live in Central Otago is to come to terms with the dominance of nature. Writer Jillian Sullivan set out to walk the hills and mountains of the Ida Valley where she lives, and follow the Manuherekia River from the mountains to its confluence with the Clutha/Mata-au. Her aim was to explore not only the land and river for themselves, but the ways in which we grow in intimacy with where we live; how our histories, and those of the people who went before us, our experiences of loss and love, our awakening to what is around us, bring us closer to community - closer to a meaningful life. Map for the Heart is a haunting collection of essays braiding history and memoir with environmentalism, amid an awareness of the seasonal fluctuations of light and wind, heat and snow, plants and creatures, and the lives and work of locals. In writing that is psychologically nurturing and deeply attentive to all that’s around, Sullivan leads readers to the core of the questions that persist throughout a life: who to love, how to love, how to be independent and yet how to live a moral life that also cares for others. The land reminds us, she writes, that we are not in charge. We are only a part of this world, and privileged to be here. Moving and yet restrained, poetic and spiritual yet unsentimental, Map for the Heart is a deeply satisfying collection of writing.