Heavens Above! The Wye Must Not Die: An account of the voyage of Our Lady of the Waters and the Wye edited by Fr Richard Williams. 2023. £15.

Pilgrimage to a holy place usually involves walking to the destination. This book, focusing on the carrying of a statue of the Virgin Mary on a boat along the course of the River Wye, from Hay on Wye to Monmouth in August 2022, was intended to draw attention to the effects of pollution on this beautiful stretch of water. This book achieves that aim but reminds us in the words of Rowan Williams in his preface “from Mary springs the powerful stream of healing water that will renew the whole world”. Contains a chapter written by Fr Paul Stonham, Abbot of Belmont.