Reading 438 Days

I’ve been a book lover my entire life and some of my greatest memories are of being lost in a fictional world. Whether it be arriving on Prince Edward Island with Anne of Green Gables, working on the farm with Caddie Woodlawn or wandering the streets of Bath with Anne Elliot I’ve loved every minute of it. As I’ve gotten older my tastes have skewed more towards non-fiction. I still love a good literary work but I find myself most often immersed in true tales. Recently, I was offered a review copy of the book 438 days. Telling the story of Salvador Alvarenga ,a fisherman lost at sea for the aforementioned length of time, I knew it was something I wanted to read.

One of the main reasons I wanted to read 438 days was that I remembered when the news of Mr. Alvarenga’s ordeal broke in early 2014. I couldn’t believe that a man could drift at sea for over a year and survive. As such, I was eager to dive into the details of his incredible tale.

438 Days is written by author Jonathan Franklin whose previous book, 33 Men, detailed the harrowing story of the Chilean Miners. In this book he captures every detail of Alvarenga’s tale starting with his carefree days as a fisherman in coastal Mexico to his rescue in the Marshall Islands. Combining Alvarenga’s firsthand account with interviews from his colleagues and technical experts the book is filled with incredible details of his 6,000 mile journey across the Pacific.

When it comes to true life tales they either capture my attention or they don’t. Multiple times I’ve picked up a book only to abandon it a few chapters in because it could not hold my interest. This was not the case with 438 days. A true page turner from start to finish I couldn’t put it down. Both heartbreaking and uplifting it’s a incredible tale of survival in the 21st century. I’m so glad Salvador Alvarenga survived his oceanic ordeal so he could share his story with us. It’s a true inspiration.