Outrageous Grace: Taking the Long Way Home'If you fall far enough, its hard to know when you hit bottom. The air gets sucked out of you on the way down.' This is an inspirational story of a family man struck down with heart failure in his prime - just as he and his wife (and children) had decided to sail a circuit of the Atlantic for a year. Devastated that his plans are thwarted he endures seven operations in eight months as procedure after procedure fails, with heart attacks in between. Finally, he has to endure open heart surgery - and immediately makes plans for his 'trip'. This is the story of an incredibly determined sailor totally unwilling to give up his dream in the face of massive odds. Narrated with present-tense immediacy, this is John's account of drowning in heart disease, fighting back to the surface and sailing on. It begins with him flat on his back in a local health club, gasping for air. It ends 31 months and 4000 miles later when he and his family sail their boat into Schull Harbour, Ireland. Funny, tragic, uplifting, humorous - it will 'speak' not only to timid sailors, wondering if they are brave enough to take that big step (whatever 'big' is in their own terms) but also to anyone facing immense difficulties, setbacks and even life-threatening danger in their non-sailing lives. It is an inspirational story with a message for everyone. Yachting Monthly will publish an extract from the book and do an off the page offer on the book. And the author is prepared to do talks in the UK (he's currently considering an invite to speak at the RGS and the Sailor's Society in 2009). He self-published in the USA where the book was a finalist in the Best Book Award by USA Book News. Most recently it was awarded an Indie Award as Best New Non-Fiction Book of the Year. |
