A Pearl in the Storm

Tori Murden McClure chronicles her life and her quest to become the first woman to row a boat across the Atlantic Ocean.  Between writing about getting ready for the trip and the trip itself, she writes of her childhood and how she was her mentally challenged younger brother's protector.  Neighborhood kids would pick on him, and she did her best to keep him safe.  At the beginning of the book she talks about getting the things she needs for her journey, getting the boat ready, but I felt like there wasn't enough information on why she wanted to row across the Atlantic Ocean.  I am not athletic or very competitive, so maybe I just don't get it, but I felt like there needed to be more of a lead in for this great undertaking.  She was amazing not only because of her athletic ability but with her ability to fix her equipment when it broke down.  One instance she talks about getting out her soldering iron to repair something.  With her communications equipment broken down, she was not able to communicate with people back home.  That kept her from knowing where the Gulf Stream was which would her her to move faster.  Then she struggled through a hurricane that flipped her boat about 15 times causing her to be bruised and beaten up.  She signaled for help using an EPIRB device and flares.  She hated to give up, but she was told there was another storm coming.  Her boat couldn't take another storm, so she agreed to be picked up.  She completes her quest to row across the ocean on another attempt.  This time she left from the coast of Africa and rowed west, a shorter route and less stormy one as well.  It was an enjoyable read about an amazing woman.