Caro Giles is a writer based in Northumberland. Her words are inspired by her local landscape, the wide empty beaches and the Cheviot Hills. She writes honestly about what it means to be a woman, a mother, a parent-carer and the value in taking the road less travelled.Her first book is a powerful and beautifully written memoir, Twelve Moons. A Year Under A Shared Sky, which follows the lunar calendar, each chapter sharing a month and a moon, and shows the simmering power that lies in our often hidden daily lives. It’s a dazzlingly honest memoir that while never turning away from the awkward truths of life, also shows how love will flourish if we can only find a space for ourselves. Its a book about finding yourself, your voice and a sense that even in the dark of the night, we are never truly alone. Caro has had to navigate a new life for herself and her four daughters: The Mermaid, The Whirlwind, The Caulbearer and The Littlest One, bound by circumstance, financial constraints, illness and the challenges of single motherhood. We ask her about her love of and the grounding force of the Moon and nature, and we discuss losing and rediscovering our sense of self either as a parent/carer or as a woman in menopause. Caro’s family have complex needs and she tells us the difficulties of navigating the health and educational system in a world that is not made for a family that may look a little different. Caro is wonderfully honest about her own anxiety and OCD and how she manages this, her self care is all about creativity, singing, writing and of course spending time with the moon. We talk about coming to terms with being scared of the dark yet how the dark is also nurturing.Even with the daily challenges of her circumstances, she manages to carve out a small amount of time in a day for something creative, and she encourages us all to ‘write ourselves back in to our own book’. Caro has a sharp mind that is always thinking of the next thing, and there’s always a next thing, find out what’s next for Caro. ‘Kittiwakes shriek at us across the rocks as we huddle nound the barbecue, crouching in towels that are wet at the edges where they have been dipped in rock pools. These are the moments that I hope will be stored inside my daughters' heads until they are old ladies. These are the moments I wrap up and gift to the girls as a token of a love that is wider than than the sea we are staring at. These are the moments’You can also watch the interview on our Womenkind Collective YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgmHLcdx28eco-XlkWYwUA In the Book Collective we delve into chapter 2 of Femina by Janina Ramirez and we meet Æthelflæd Queen of Mercia and how centuries after her death she was still thought of as one of the most influential women in England, who has since been written out of history, or has she??? There’s a fantastic quote from Lou. The scone/skohn/skorn debate rages on. We find out about the incredible women of the Ukrainian resistance movement.As the Eve appeal launch their Gynaecological #Get Lippy campaign we look at some shocking statistics from Flo Health.There’s the WI, find out how we got on with our Hat-Trick.It’s another episode brimming with chat, your comments, and all the usual shenanigans. So, settle in for this hour(ish) podcast full of meaningful chat. If you’ve enjoyed our Podcast please consider buying us a Ko-Fi. This helps us ensure we bring you quality of content and sound.https://ko-fi.com/womenkindcollectivepodcast Caro Giles: Twelve Moons. A year under a shared sky: Harper CollinsInstagram: @carogileswritesTwitter: @CaroGilesWrites--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/womenkindcollectivepodcast/message Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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