Talk about an unconventional childhood! Aged 7, author Suzanne Heywood, is told by her dad that the family are going to sail round the world following in the footsteps of James Cook for a year or so. The trouble is that 10 years later they’re still drifting around between Pacific Islands with no indication of ever going home. And the now teenage Suzanne is desperate to get off the boat and get on with her education. This is where the story lands up in New Zealand for what is one of the most shocking parts of this memoir. Like Tara Westover in Educated, sheer force of will keeps Suzanne going and overcoming all the obstacles in her way not least the memory of “that storm” and “that wave”. This book will have you googling islands that are pinpricks on the map willing the boat to get there. A remarkable book that you will want to talk about and give to friends. My favourite book of 2023 so far.
— Laura