26. A Marriage At Sea

By Sophie Elmhirst (244 pp)

This is a true story about a couple who sail a boat from England to New Zealand in the 70s. Somewhere around the Galápagos Islands region a whale destroys their boat and they are left with a dingy and a life boat. You know when you start the story that they survive but the sequence of them out there on the open sea is one of the most harrowing things I've ever read. They survived out of pure determination, especially Maralyn who was delusional about their chances. Yet, they make it. Beautifully written and captures how people can be complex. Recommend.