An Island to Myself
The Place of Solitude in an Active Life
Michael N. McGregor’s musing memoir An Island to Myself is about using the practice of solitude to develop personal authenticity and enhanced creativity.
In 1985, McGregor, then twenty-seven, quit his job as a magazine editor and undertook five months of travel through Europe with a friend. With the passion and intensity of a young man on a mission, he also pursued a solo sojourn on the Greek island of Patmos, “a speck in a vast sea, six-thousand miles from home.” He hoped solitude and isolation would help him find his way as a writer. He felt cut off from friends and family; because of contemporary technology, he notes, “Almost no one today is ever alone in the way I was then.”
Moving at a contemplative pace, the book explores how the raw beauty of Patmos calmed and claimed McGregor, who developed a much-needed rhythm and pattern to his days. In turn, this fostered his novel writing project and reassured him that the craft was, indeed, in his future.
But all was not tranquil. Candid and conversational, the book reveals the hardships of inclement weather, freezing nights, self-imposed deprivations, and the growing awareness that while solitude can begin with euphoria, “sooner or later something reminds you that you’re really alone, not in just ways you want to be, but in ways you don’t.” Humor also appears, as in stories about happy encounters with friendly dogs and welcoming locals; while skinny-dipping for the first time, McGregor noticed, on the cliff above him, a convent.
An Island to Myself is a satisfying memoir about a transformative search for meaning among the small, often overlooked everyday moments.
Reviewed by
Kristine Morris
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
