Black Wave

April 14, 2008
In 2003, after two years at sea, the 55-foot catamaran sailed by the Silverwoods, a suburban California family that chucked it all to sail around the world, hit a reef off the South Pacific island of Scilly (now known as Manuae), putting the life of Jean and John and their four children (ages five to 16) in peril. The first part of the book is written from Jean’s perspective as she opens with the wreck and then moves smoothly between the family’s fight for survival and the story of their journey. By juxtaposing the two tales, Jean illustrates how the children’s maturity and cohesiveness were not only a byproduct of the trip but also the keys to all the Silverwoods surviving their ordeal, especially John, who was critically injured by the falling mast. Jean wears her heart on her sleeve, and her writing about her marital problems or John’s alcoholic relapses is honest. John’s narrative is half as long as Jean’s, underscoring his straight-to-the point personality and writing style. The saga from John’s perspective lacks emotion, but his ability to interweave the story of the Julia Anne
(a sailing ship that hit the same reef in 1855) gives an eye-opening account of how much and how little sea travel has changed in 150 years and accentuates the heroism of this family that overcame an extraordinary ordeal.

September 1, 2008
Adult/High School-It could be said that the Silverwoods' account of hitting a coral reef off the Scilly Islands is a repeat of history, because their 50-foot catamaran, the "Emerald Jane", did exactly what the tall sailing ship "Julia Ann" had done in 1855. Luckily for John, Jean, and their four children, they had the benefit of 21st-century survival gear, particularly the GPS survival beacon that provided the crucial link to the French emergency crews who saved them. "Black Wave" is an exciting tale; readers know from the start that the family survives, but what makes for deep engagement is learning the parallel story of Captain Pond and his crew and passengers. It is during John Silverwood's recovery and rehabilitationhis leg is crushed during the wreck and later amputatedthat he learns about the "Julia Ann". As he delves into its history and learns how the 19th-century crew dealt with their devastating misadventure, it helps him put his family's experience into perspective. This book shows that we all deal with catastrophic events differently, but if our actions are explored and investigated, we learn that human beings, no matter the era, have the same basic instincts and needs to make sense of their experiences."Joanne Ligamari, Twin Rivers United School District, Sacramento, CA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.