The Joy of High Places

A soaring memoir of longing, resilience and delight in the natural world. In this extraordinary and unexpected book, Patti tells the story of her own long-distance walking over hundreds of kilometres in Europe and of her brother’s obsession with paragliding. As adults, a tragic accident changes their relationship. One day, Barney’s wing collapses and he plummets to earth, breaking his spine. The story of his struggle to walk again intersects Patti’s long-distance journeys, creating an intense narrative of determination and triumph. For Patti, walking is a radical act – a return to what has made us all human — that bestows a connection to wild nature and to creativity it self. But as she listens to her pragmatic and methodical brother tell his story, she learns that flying is his door to untrammelled joy too. She realises that she is ‘meeting’ him for the very first time. This beautiful and inspiring book tells their story and reveals that the siblings share a willingness to take risks and an indefatigable determination. With rare insight and poetic writing,The Joy of High Places combines physical adventure with a powerful emotional journey.

Patti Miller is the author of nine books, including best-selling memoir-writing texts and the award-winning narrative non-fiction, The Mind of a Thief. She has published numerous articles and essays in national newspapers and magazines. She grew up on Wiradjuri land and now lives in Woolloomooloo on Gadigal land. She teaches memoir workshops around Australia and in Paris and London.