Maurice and Maralyn
A Whale, a Shipwreck, a Love Story
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:29th Feb '24
Should be back in stock very soon
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£10.99(9781529931495)
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION AWARD 2024**
**A Guardian, Observer, Economist & Waterstones Best Book of 2024**
** A Financial Times BEST SUMMER READ**
'One of those very special books that makes you put everything on hold so you can get back to it' RACHEL JOYCE
What begins as an eccentric English love story turns into one of the most dramatic adventures ever recorded...
Maurice and Maralyn couldn't be more different. He is as cautious and awkward as she is charismatic and forceful. It seems an unlikely romance, but it works.
Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maralyn has an idea: sell the house, build a boat, leave England -- and its oil crisis, industrial strikes and inflation -- forever. It is hard work, turning dreams into reality, but finally they set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway there, their beloved boat is struck by a whale and the pair are cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
On their tiny raft, their love is put to the test. When Maurice begins to withdraw into himself, it falls upon Maralyn to keep them both alive. Filled with danger, spirit, and tenderness, this is a book about human connection and the human condition; about how we survive -- not just at sea, but in life.
'Extraordinary . . . Elmhirst is a terrific writer' ELIZABETH DAY
**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’
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… Elmhirst’s 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-provoking…compelling…tender… An ideal gift for a friend or family who likes incredible true stories of survival. But it’s also a book about love and hubris. And in that sense, it’s 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 hasn’t left my mind since I finished it -- OLIVER BURKEMAN
ISBN: 9781784744922
Dimensions: 223mm x 145mm x 28mm
Weight: 380g
272 pages