A Beautifully Written & Compelling Read

  • Book: Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary
  • Location: Caribbean, The Bahamas, The South Seas, United States (USA)
  • Author: Liesbet Collaert

Review Author: Sleekpony

Location

Content

I could not put this book down. Beautifully written in the present tense, which confers a sense of urgency, I felt I was aboard with the author throughout her seaborne adventures.
Although living her dreams, Liesbet is very honest about the difficulties brought about by choosing an alternative lifestyle, and the strain it puts on her relationship with her new husband, Mark.

Sailing the world was once my dream, until a first practice session in a Mirror dinghy with my then partner ended with, “I’m never sailing with you again!” to which he responded, “Good, because I’m never going to ask you to!” We realised the only way we would ever sail around the world together was if we set off in opposite directions. I have so much admiration for Liesbet and Mark, who weathered storms, both real and personal, while miles from anywhere and confined in a tiny space.

Yet, this realistic depiction hasn’t put me off. The descriptions of familiar island destinations in the Caribbean, the enchanting wildlife in the Galapagos, and the remote and less well-known island paradises in French Polynesia are wonderful. I completely understand why Liesbet, an unlikely sailor who suffers from seasickness, felt a transit of the Panama Canal and hair-raising Pacific adventures in a vessel not quite suitable for ocean crossings, was so worthwhile!

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