Alice Irene Whittaker’s debut book HOMING, has sold to Deborah Willis at Freehand Books!
Alice devoted her early life to the pursuit of impossible perfection at a ballet academy, where anorexia and exhaustion eventually contributed to a severe injury. In denial, Alice continued to pursue her dream even when a heavy cast on her arm made pirouettes impossible. She became increasingly interested in NGO work, and travelled extensively through Africa and South America with a vague idea of reinventing herself in a way that excited her as much as ballet did. Her solo travel and upon her return, her four-hour daily commutes to the city, gave her lots of time to think, and she realized that she needed nature, and needed to live surrounded by trees to have the life she wanted.
Informing her choice was a rejection of linear thinking, and embracing a life that followed the cycles of nature. Instead of climbing the ladder to reach goals and finish lines, she opened herself up to what she calls circular living: following nature’s seasons to create a life of care for the environment, for her community, for herself, and for her children.
HOMING tells the story of how Alice abandoned an exhausting commuter life to raise her children in a cabin in the woods, where Alice embarks on an imperfect journey to learn how we can uproot extractive ways of living and instead root our lives in nature’s cycles, justice and caretaking.
Alice Irene Whittaker is a writer, environmental communications leader, and a mother. Her writing has appeared in national and international publications, including The Globe and Mail, Permaculture Magazine, the National Observer, and the Huffington Post. She lives in Chelsea, Quebec.
Alice is represented by Marilyn Biderman.