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Black Wave: A Family's Adventure at Sea and the Disaster That Saved Them
written by John Silverwood, Jean Silverwood
Studio : Random House
by Random House
Release Date : 2008-07-01
Publisher : Random House
Released : 2008-07-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9781400066551
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 30 reviews)
List Price : $25.00
Our Price : $14.94
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Product Description |
“I told God that if he would let us survive this night, I would make it mean something worthwhile. And then, somehow, I felt calmer than I have ever felt. Unreasonably so. Irrationally so. I looked over the scene of our wrecked life and I smiled–a crazy smile for sure–and I looked through the dark at the mad beauty of it.”
–Jean Silverwood
An exhilarating true-life adventure of one family’s extraordinary sea voyage of self-discovery and survival, tragedy and triumph
Successful businessman John Silverwood and his wife, Jean, both experienced sailors, decided the time was right to give their four children a taste of thrilling life on the high seas. And indeed their journey aboard the fifty-five-foot catamaran Emerald Jane would have many extraordinary and profound moments, whether it was the peaceful late-night watches John enjoyed under the stunning celestial sky or the elation shared by the whole family at the sight of blissful pods of dolphin and migrating tortoises. John and Jean had hoped to use the trip as a teaching opportunity, with the Emerald Jane as a floating classroom in which to instruct their children in important lessons–not only about the natural world but about the beauty of human life when stripped down to its essence, far from the trappings of civilization.
Yet rather than flourishing amid the new freedoms and responsibilities thrust upon them, the children were sometimes confused, frightened, resentful. The two oldest, fourteen-year-old Ben and twelve-year-old Amelia, missed their friends and the comfortable life left behind in San Diego, while the two youngest, Jack, seven, and Camille, three, picked up on the stressful currents running above and below the surface–for throughout the journey, the Silverwood family found its bonds tested as never before.
John and Jean, whose marriage had weathered its share of storms, would wonder again if they had taken on too much as the physical, emotional, and financial strains of caring for the expensive catamaran and their children brought old resentments to the surface.
John’s dream trip that began on Long Island Sound ended almost two years later as a nightmare in treacherous waters off a remote atoll in French Polynesia, where, in an explosion of awesome violence, the terrifying brunt of the ocean’s anger fell upon the Emerald Jane.
Gradually, in the crucible of the sea, a stronger, more closely knit unit was forged. The Silverwoods became a crew. Then they became a family again. But just as it seemed to them that they had mastered every challenge, their world was shattered in a split-second of unimaginable horror. Now their real challenge began, forcing them to fight for their very lives. |
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Fantastic real-world recount of an amazing adventure |
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A gripping book from the first page. I couldn't put Black Wave down! I so appreciate the realness and transparency Silverwood's shared in the retelling of their adventure. Thanks so much! |
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Has it all |
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I would not take four children to sea in a catamaran. I would not climb Mt. Everest or marry a man with 17 wives. That's why I read adventure stories. I liked this book for the extreme drama of a wreck at sea, the gut-wrenching spectacle of a mother coming to terms with the fact that she has jeopardized her children, and because it is an examination of a marriage and family bonds within a highly compressed arena. As we know from Tolkien, the group must leave home on a quest, be exposed to danger, and come out the other side all grown up. This book satisfies those requirements with beautiful descriptions of ocean nights and exotic ports to boot. |
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Dumb&Dumber |
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I can't believe all the great reviews on this...maybe these people read the book and it is different from the experience of listening to the CD. Jean and John not only put their own lives at risk but risked the lives of their three children (who had very little choice in the matter) to boot! I felt bad that the teenage son was unable to be with his friends at home in CA and instead was dragged around the world...exposed to violent seas and dangerous PIRATES all because his mom and dad apparently were bored with their lives (and marriage it seems) and needed to put some "zest" in it. I am sure they will make a movie out of it...but I will pass on it! |
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A tremendous story, well told |
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Couldn't put this one down. It is written from two points of view, that bring the reader to the same conclusion. As a sailor, I find the narrative extremely interesting, and well written from an experienced wind sailor's perspective. Not to give away the later part of the story, I found it chilling, and poignant. The government employees involved deserve kudos from the sailing community as a whole for the timely and courageous responses. This fine story gives an excellent insight into those of us who voyage in our own boats, or live aboard boats as our life style. I thoroughly recommend Black Wave to sailors and non-sailors alike. |
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Lessons learned at sea |
John and Jean Silverwood decide to put their busy daily lives aside and take their four children on a round the world adventure at sea. The Silverwoods feel as though the fast pace of life in San Diego has pulled the family in too many directions. They purchase the Emerald Jane and set of on an once-in-a-lifetime adventure with Ben (14), Amelia (12), Jack (7), and Camille (3). Using the sea and new ports as a school and hoping to satiate John's seemingly endless need for adrenalin, the Silverwoods also have to manage worries about pirates, unfriendly ports, balky generators and whatever the sea throws at them. The close quarters of the catamaran make clashes inevitable as Ben, missing his friends and diversions in California becomes sullen, Jean worries and John slips into old habits and the dream voyage threatens to become a battle of wills. However, the beauty of the sea, the sea life, new ports, discovering new friends and discovering new strengths within themselves, the Silverwoods keep on their journey until the unthinkable happens. The Emerald Jane hits a reef and the family`s survival depends on the lessons learned at sea.
This is an engrossing book that kept me hooked right till the end of the first portion. The portion about the Julia Ann and her crew and fate, not as interesting. I also had bit of a hard time with Jean's excusing John's behaviors (selfishness?) and putting herself down in comparison. That said, this is as much a tale of a family's growth as a tale of a journey |
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