Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst

Vintage

9781529931495

272pp

Maurice and Maralyn tells the astonishing true story of a couple who decide to sail from England to New Zealand and are shipwrecked by a whale. Consequently, they spend 118 days at sea before rescue. Winner of the Nero Prize, this story is as unbelievable as it is believable. Asking my parents about it, they vaguely remember the story hitting the news, and there are a number of books (including written by Maurice and Maralyn) on the subject.

And yet, there is a slightly supernatural element to the story; the whale hitting the boat, the survival on fish and turtles, the strength of the couple as they face death head on and choose to survive. The only word I have to describe it is astonishing. It makes me more fearful of the sea, as well. But the story of their fortitude, their inner strength, and their love for one another, is truly beautiful.

We first meet Maurice and Maralyn as they meet each other: on dry land. But we are swiftly taken aboard as they choose to sail from England to New Zealand in a boat built on their specification. Everything seems to be going smoothly until they reach the Pacific, when they are woken by an enormous whale hitting the boat and it rapidly beginning to sink. Abandoning ship to two small life rafts, they are faced with the possibility (and probability) of never being rescued. They had no radio on board to send a distress signal; no one knows quite where they are.

Thus begins a tale of true survival. Maralyn, ever the positive one, takes it upon herself to keep spirits up. They survive by fishing with a safety pin and collecting rain water. They battle illness, food poisoning, storms, hopelessness, and the constant sighting of ships without hope of being seen themselves.

After 118 days at sea, they are rescued by a Korean fishing boat, who take them to Hawaii for recovery. Their story sparks international interest, and so begins their life of relative celebrity. This is a short book, a quick and easy read, but contains multitudes. Maralyn’s determination to live, Maurice’s hopelessness, their unbreakable bond. It’s not just a story of survival, but of love too.

I can see why this book won the Nero Prize. It’s excellently written, with passion and affection, as demonstrated by the author’s note at the end. It’s worthy of any accolade thrown at it.