This true story is about determination and the power of the human spirit in the face of a great obstacle. Jessica Watson tells about her background in sailing and experiences before and during her expedition around the world. It is an inspirational story on the significance of dreaming big despite the impossibility of the dream. Furthermore, it explores the path toward gaining mental resilience and courage to handle a daunting and unpredictable challenge.
The memoir tells of the voyage Watson took circumnavigating the globe for several months. She undertook the challenge at the age of 16, which involved covering over 24,000 nautical miles across the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. With her yacht, named Ella's Pink Lady, Watson had to circumnavigate the world alone, unassisted, and non-stop. In the book, she narrates the part of her childhood that played a huge role in her passion for sailing. She covers the events that encouraged her and those that disheartened her including the accident before the expedition. In the parts that recount the trip, she tells of the challenges of coping with lack of sleep, loneliness, gales, icebergs, and whales.
Watson set out to inspire other people just like how she was inspired by fellow young sailors such as Jesse Martin and Kay Cottee. As a kid, her parent frequently read her Martin’s memoir, which tells his journey of breaking the record as the youngest person to circumnavigate the world. This book highlights the intense preparations required to achieve the same task accomplished by the young sailors who came before her.
