When I used to do a lot of walking I was quite inspired by the one of the books by Ffyona Campbell that I read, in which she re did part of one of her walks having admitted that she had missed parts of the origiinal walk due to illness. It taught me that living with a lie is soul destroying but it can take incredible courage to admit to that lie [she was castigated at the time for her confession]. Not that I actually lie myself [I not only blush if I try to lie but also blush if I'm telling the truth and think that people assume that I'm lying ].Also, Live Aid being so fresh in my mind even now, I can remember her announcing her plan to do the walk live on air.However, the first book that sprang into my head was,alas, not by a woman, and that was Zola's 'Germinal' which sowed the seeds of my lifelong leaning towards Socialism.