Cardwell’s bracing memoir of the ways that surfing launched her into a new life is as invigorating as waxing up your board and getting in the water ... Cardwell’s moving story washes over the reader with its emotionally rich portrayal of the ragged ways we can embrace our vulnerabilities in order to overcome them.
... a thoughtful memoir of loss, self-discovery and what can happen when you hang on, literally and figuratively, to a piece of wood adrift in the sea.
Readers looking for an offbeat, uplifting account, and those with an interest in surfing or outdoor challenges, should find this engaging. An ideal selection for book groups and recommended for all public library collections.
The book’s most engaging sections concern [Cardwell's] move to Rockaway Beach, where she bought a house not long before Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012; here, she offers a rich account of living through the disaster and rebuilding in its aftermath. By the end, she has a crew of surfing friends, a new man, and a zest for life. Readers don’t have to surf to be taken away by Cardwell’s story, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt.
In this eloquent narrative, the author offers a moving portrait of a woman in search of herself as well as a joyful celebration of physicality, friendship, and the art of surfing ... A bighearted and uplifting memoir.
