A Dip in the Ocean

May 1, 2012
Grades 7-12 On April 1, 2009, 23-year-old Outen set off on the adventure of a lifetime: to row across the Indian Ocean from Australia to Mauritius. If she succeeded, she would become the first woman and the youngest person to accomplish this remarkable feat. She would also become the youngest woman to row solo across any ocean. This book is her story, and a remarkable one it is. The solo journey, covering 3,000 miles and lasting four months, was a feat of endurance but not isolation, sincethanks to satellitesOuten was able to communicate throughout with friends, family, and her team. This is not to discount the potential for disaster, much of it due to unpredictable and violent weather. Outen tells her story in a straightforward manner sprinkled with Britishisms (chuffed, knackered, chirpier, etc.), but it is less her style than her story that will hold readers' attentions to the end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)