Maurice and Maralyn: An extraordinary true story of shipwreck, survival and love

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An extraordinary true tale of love, shipwreck and survival, beautifully told -- Maurice and Maralyn's escape from 1970s England and its oil crisis, strikes and inflation is also a story for our times An extraordinary true story of shipwreck, survival and love 'An absolute jewel of a book' India Knight 'A gripping tale of adventure' Elizabeth Day 'An extraordinary survival story' Sunday Times Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maurice and Maralyn plan their escape- sell the house, build a boat, set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway around the world, their beloved boat is struck by a whale and the pair are cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Alone on a tiny raft, their love is put to the test. This is a book about human connection and the human condition; about how we survive - not just at sea, but in life. 'This skilful storytelling drew me in...very touching indeed' James Rebanks 'With the adrenaline kick of Jaws . . . A remarkable portrait of a marriage kept afloat against the odds' Financial Times 'This dramatic, profound human story is so beautifully told. I really could not put it down' Nina Stibbe A Guardian, Observer & Waterstones Non-fiction Book of the Year **READERS ADORE MAURICE & MARALYN** 'A riveting tale of survival . . . and of the power of love when all appears lost' 'A mind-blowing story of resilience and love in the face of adversity' 'The very best kind of true story, and beautifully written' 'I couldn't put this book down' 'I was absolutely hooked from the outset'

Reviews

Electrifying . . . a tender portrait of two unconventional souls blithely defying the conventions of their era and making a break for freedom -- Fiona Sturges * Guardian *
Extraordinary . . . Elmhirst is a terrific writer -- ELIZABETH DAY
An extraordinary survival story Elmhirsts reconstruction of their ordeal is riveting, told in illuminating detail * Sunday Times *
Maurice and Maralyn somehow contrives to be both gripping and elegiac. Sophie Elmhirst's graceful, confident prose is novelistic in its pleasures and profoundly moving in its impact -- KALIANE BRADLEY, author of The Ministry of Time
A compelling book about a shipwreck, but also as thoughtful a tale about marriage, for better and worse, as you are likely to read * Observer *
Thought-provokingcompellingtender An ideal gift for a friend or family who likes incredible true stories of survival. But its also a book about love and hubris. And in that sense, its a book for us all. -- PANDORA SYKES
An amazing tale of survival . . . reminds me how incredibly hard it is to find love out there in the world -- Tracey Thorn * New Statesman *
This dramatic, profound human story is so beautifully told in calm, thoughtful, perfectly judged prose. I really could not put it down -- NINA STIBBE, author of Love, Nina
A gripping tale of maritime catastrophe but also of marriage -- India Knight * Sunday Times *
A gripping story of survival at sea and a haunting account of the yearning to escape . . . It hasnt left my mind since I finished it -- OLIVER BURKEMAN

Author Bio

Sophie Elmhirst is a prizewinning writer for the Guardian Long Read and The Economist's 1843 magazine, and a contributing editor at the Gentlewoman and Harper's Bazaar. In 2020 she won the British Press Award for Feature Writer of the Year; she has also won a Foreign Press Award and been longlisted for the Orwell Prize. She first came across the story of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey researching a piece on our desire to escape. This is her first book. She lives in London.