Lost in the Stacks: In Deep Water
"Mayday!" "Mayday!" "Mayday!" For Paul, Sonny and Lu, their pleasant October morning fishing in Gulf waters for red snapper and pompano was about to become the stuff of nightmares. As Paul's boat inexplicably started taking on water, the men barely had time to grab life jackets and radio a frantic Mayday (that was never received) before the boat sank. Tying two small coolers together, the friends drifted. There were no other fishing boats. No signs of activity on nearby oil rigs. No expectation that anyone would miss them for a very long time.
The torments came from above and below. As the sun crisped their skin and endless waves slapped their faces, jellyfish stung their arms and feet. Night brought relief from the sun, but now hypothermia was the enemy. Exhausted and dehydrated, the men tried to keep their spirits up. Surely rescue would come the next day, they told themselves, then came the sharks.
In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival and Courage by Michael Tougias grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. As the fishermen's situation grows increasingly dire, Tougias narrates the equally fascinating rescue planning. This one's a page turner!
Still can't get enough nonfiction? Below are two more titles I recommend this month. You many also want to sign up for our monthly nonfiction email newsletter. We'll send you my picks of six fascinating books you might have missed.
The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate and the Quest to End Dementia by Robert Kolker
“With his breathtaking chronicle of a family with a rare form of dementia, Robert Kolker claims his title as the Ann Patchett of nonfiction family dramas. . . . Powerful, harrowing. . . . A gold mine for readers, providing endless insights into the many ways individuals react to an ongoing health crisis, especially one as devastating as FTD. . . . He infuses intimate, cataclysmic moments with emotional acuity, allowing readers to feel both embedded and invested in his subjects’ unimaginable challenges.” —BookPage (starred review)
Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy by Ben Macintyre
“I grab each new book by Ben Macintyre and read it as fast as possible. He has a rare ability to turn history and espionage upside down and give us true, colorful stories that astound us as they draw us in. Redwood might be his best. Given the current war in Iran, it is certainly his most timely.” —John Grisham
