I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain by Anita Sethi was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I can't remember where I first heard about it, probably as I searched for 2021 book releases, but I was immediately intrigued by the book's premise.



After suffering a racially-motivated hate crime, Anita Sethi resolved to make a journey across the Pennines, the 'backbone of Britain', as an act of healing and reclamation. I think this is a fantastic idea, and a great concept for a book.

I Belong Here is more than a simple chronological account of Sethi's physical journey across the Pennines; while she outlines the different stages of her journey, and shares precious moments with us, there is also an overarching story of Sethi's emotional journey. Sethi also makes numerous digressions, as the flow of writing follows her thoughts, and Sethi's eloquent and impassioned arguments about the future of our world were some of my favourite sections.

While there is so much to treasure in this book, I did find myself wishing that I Belong Here had a stronger structure. This is something I have often found myself wishing for when reading autobiographical non-fiction, and is purely a personal preference.

I was moved by how much of herself Sethi shared with the reader, and I am so glad that she was able to make something so beautiful out of her pain. I Belong Here is definitely worth your time, and deserves to be widely read and appreciated.