* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *Experienced fisherman Salvador Alvarenga was lost off the coast of Mexico on 17 November 2012, and while many of his colleagues and friends were in disbelief about his disappearance, none could have imagined he would survive 438 days at sea and drift all the way to the Marshall Islands.
438 Days - An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea is a story of extreme survival, at times awe-inspiring and full of hope but also full of desperation, depression and grief.
If you want to know what Salvador eats to survive and how his body copes with severe dehydration and starvation, you'll find it here. You'll also discover how he copes with the isolation, loneliness, the endless hours and emotional strain of his ordeal.
This novel also highlights just how much rubbish is floating in the ocean and how Salvador used everything he could find to aid his survival, creating his own little eco system around his boat.
438 Days covers the mental, physical and emotional toll on Alvarenga's body, including his terrifying rescue and seeing another human being for the first time in more than a year.
Moving and inspiring, author Jonathan Franklin has really delivered on this one.
My rating = ****
Carpe Librum!
