True Spirit by Jessica Watson

Blurb: On May 15, 2010, after 210 days at sea and more than 22,000 nautical miles, 16-year-old Jessica Watson sailed her 33-foot boat triumphantly back to land. She had done it. She was the youngest person to sail solo, unassisted, and nonstop around the world.

Jessica spent years preparing for this moment, years focused on achieving her dream. Yet only eight months before, she collided with a 63,000-ton freighter. It seemed to many that she’d failed before she’d even begun, but Jessica brushed herself off, held her head high, and kept going.

Told in Jessica’s own words, True Spirit is the story of her epic voyage. It tells how a young girl, once afraid of everything, decided to test herself on an extraordinary adventure that included gale-force winds, mountainous waves, hazardous icebergs, and extreme loneliness on a vast sea, with no land in sight and no help close at hand. True Spirit is an inspiring story of risk, guts, determination, and achievement that ultimately proves we all have the power to live our dreams—no matter how big or small.

The afterglow:

I followed Jessica's journey while it was happening through her blog, and was inspired with every post. So it's no surprise I bought her book as soon as I heard it was out. Seriously, folks, AMAZING. The book was written by Jessica herself, pulling from her blog posts, and I loved that the story came out in Jessica's own voice.

The book is so full of hope, enthusiasm, and encouragement, I feel like it's practically a self-help book on achieving your dreams. Only so much better, because you get an incredible story into the bargain. It's well written, engaging, and TRUE. I was tugged along for an emotional, exciting ride with Jessica and felt lucky I got to share even a little bit in something I'd never be able to do: sail solo around the world.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, enlightening, and enthusiastic read.