Synopsis:
Love can make a person do crazy things. . .
A city girl with a morbid fear of deep water, Torre DeRoche is not someone you would ordinarily find adrift in the middle of the stormy Pacific aboard a leaky sailboat – total crew of two – struggling to keep an old boat, a new relationship and her floundering sanity afloat.
But when she meets Ivan, a handsome Argentinean man with a humble sailboat and a dream to set off exploring the world, Torre has to face a hard decision: watch the man she's in love with sail away forever, or head off on the watery journey with him. Suddenly the choice seems simple. She gives up her sophisticated city life, faces her fear of water (and tendency towards seasickness) and joins her lover on a year-long voyage across the Pacific.
A city girl with a morbid fear of deep water, Torre DeRoche is not someone you would ordinarily find adrift in the middle of the stormy Pacific aboard a leaky sailboat – total crew of two – struggling to keep an old boat, a new relationship and her floundering sanity afloat.
But when she meets Ivan, a handsome Argentinean man with a humble sailboat and a dream to set off exploring the world, Torre has to face a hard decision: watch the man she's in love with sail away forever, or head off on the watery journey with him. Suddenly the choice seems simple. She gives up her sophisticated city life, faces her fear of water (and tendency towards seasickness) and joins her lover on a year-long voyage across the Pacific.
My Thoughts:
I knew as soon as I read the synopsis for this book that I had to read it. You see, I am deathly afraid of water. I don't swim in the ocean or step foot in a lake. Heck, it's been years since I've been in a pool. The thought of someone with the same fear as me deciding to travel around the world on a boat just blew my mind. That's love, people.
Love With a Chance of Drowning is the true story of Torre DeRoche, who after leaving Australia to spend a year (just a year, she promised) in the United States, falls in love with a handsome man who's dream is to travel the world by boat. He has spent the last five years planning this trip and is all set to leave. Torre has to make a choice: face her fears and set sail with Ivan or head home to Australia with the chance of never seeing him again. There's only one way to go for her: she chooses love.
Even though this is a memoir, it doesn't read like one. I kept having to remind myself that these were real people and these events actually happened. I was sucked right into Torre's life and could see her trying to overcome her fears and sea sickness and trying her best to learn everything she could about the boat. I never realized just how much preparation goes into sailing and I can't imagine having to learn everything in the short amount of time that Torre had. She certainly is an inspiration.
As for Ivan, I felt kind of a love/hate relationship with him. I loved his energy, passion and how he saw life. He appreciated the smaller things in life and dreamed of traveling the world, living free of crime and politics. But as much as I appreciated this side of him, I didn't like how he sometimes took Torre for granted. At times it didn't feel as if he gave her the credit that she deserved. Had she not been with him, he surely wouldn't have made it across the Pacific. He is accident prone and Torre was constantly having to save the day. Even though some of these accidents were a little funny (and again, these are some of the moments where I had to remind myself that these were real people), they could have been avoided.
What I loved most about Torre's adventure was the people she met and the places she visited. I'd never heard of many of the places they went and could only imagine their beauty. Since I will most likely never travel to any far away land, it was thrilling to live vicariously through her and experience the worlds the only way possible.
Overall, this was a very satisfying read. Torre has a unique ability to make you feel like you are right there on that boat with her, experiencing everything for yourself. I didn't just read these words, I lived the movie in my mind. Their trip is filled with humor, struggles and unbelievably beautiful landscapes. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves adventure, chick lit or who might find themselves one day taking a chance on love.
For more about Torre DeRoche, Love With a Chance of Drowning, and to view photos taken on her adventure, visit her website here.
~Purchase~
*I received this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.
This sounds great, I love watery themes so the setting is perfect for my tastes, but I don't like relationships where I end up feeling the author/main character's being taken for granted, so I'm torn about whether to read it. Great review.
ReplyDeleteThe best memoirs are the kind that read like fiction. Cheryl Strayed's Wild is exactly like that - you get so swept up in the story that you forget she actually hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that this book is a true story because it seems more of a fiction. It's great to know that some stories that authors tell happened or may happen in reality. Thanks for sharing the book! Great review!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe this is a memoir and not fiction! I love the ocean and sailing so this sounds really interesting. No fear of water here!
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