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Book Review – Midlifing on the South West Coast Path: 630 Miles Braver by Zoe Langley-Wathen

  • xtinecruzat
  • May 31
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 13

Review by Sarah Williams, host of the Tough Girl Podcast and founder of Tough Girl Challenges


A Decade of Friendship and Storytelling

Zoe Langley-Wathen has long been someone I admire—not just for her adventurous spirit, but for her ability to tell powerful stories that stay with you. Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Zoe personally and professionally, and have interviewed her multiple times for the Tough Girl Podcast. Her latest book, Midlifing on the South West Coast Path: 630 Miles Braver, is a testament to her storytelling gift—this time, bringing her voice to the page in a beautifully written form.


Walking the Path Together

The book follows Zoe’s journey along the 630-mile South West Coast Path, a National Trail she chose to walk as she entered her forties. It’s a deeply personal and honest account of midlife, adventure, and what it really means to be brave. Having walked the same path myself in the summer of 2024, I know firsthand the challenge it presents. Zoe even joined me for a few days during my walk—those shared miles were truly special, and reading her perspective brought those moments vividly back to life.


Vulnerability and Inner Strength

What struck me most about the book was Zoe’s openness. She doesn’t hold back from discussing the real, often uncomfortable aspects of the journey—imposter syndrome, fear of heights, the nerves that come with wild camping, and the doubts that creep in during a challenge of this magnitude. These raw moments are shared with humility and grace, allowing readers to see not just the adventurer, but the woman behind the adventure.


A Reminder of What Bravery Looks Like

Zoe’s vulnerability is one of the book’s greatest strengths. She invites you into her world, offering a front-row seat to the emotional highs and lows of walking such a long-distance path solo. It’s easy to admire someone for their achievements and forget the inner struggles they may have faced to get there. This book reminded me that bravery isn’t the absence of fear, but the decision to keep moving despite it.


Inspiration for Midlife Women Everywhere

I’ve known Zoe since 2015 and have always seen her as strong and capable. But this book reminded me how every journey begins with uncertainty. For any woman navigating midlife, wondering if she’s “too late” to take on a new challenge, Midlifing on the South West Coast Path offers reassurance that now is exactly the right time.


A Trail of Words That Inspires

Zoe’s writing doesn’t just recount her walk—it invites you in. Her reflections on fear, growth, and self-discovery are universal, offering encouragement to anyone standing at a life crossroads. Zoe’s words remind us that the most meaningful transformations often happen in midlife, when we’re finally brave enough to ask, what now?


Midlifing on the South West Coast Path is an honest, heartwarming, and encouraging read that I cannot recommend enough. Zoe’s journey will stay with you long after the final page.



Catch all of Zoe’s episodes on the Tough Girl Podcast below.






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Book: 630 Miles Braver: Midlifing on the South West Coast Path 

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