Description:

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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 non-stop around the globe.

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.

Jessica Watson was born on May 18, 1993, in Queensland, Australia, where she still lives.

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this got here safe!

This was an interesting book.
Since I first stumbled on a copy of Dove back in high school, I have loved travelogues that involve sailing. I've done a little sailing on Lake Michigan, nothing larger than a 19 foot boat (with no motor just sails only). It was something that I have enjoyed doing a lot, and now that I don't I enjoy reading about other people's sailing adventures.

I thought it interesting that Jessica took her blog entries made during her sailing and expanded them for the book. It showed her immediate reactions to situations, as well as what she remembered afterwards. It's a shame her trip is not recognized by certain sailing organizations as circumnavigating the globe (and that there is not a youngest sailor record anymore). However, you get the idea that while it might have been nice to have her name put to a sailing world record, Jessica is more thrilled with the fact that she dreamed making this trip and actually getting a chance to fulfill it.

I was a little annoyed by the vast use of QC codes throughout the book linking to her video blogs. As someone who lacks a smartphone I thought this a tad annoying to include as not everyone has the technology to use the codes.

Book was left on a paper rack on the student village hallway by the ramp down to the bookstore entrance.