Way back in grade school, I read Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, and ever since, I have chased the high of that magical experience. In the 1970s, I found a bit of that magic by discovering Children of Cape Horn by Rosie Swale and Adrift by Steve Callahan, along with other survival and true adventure stories.

I wasn’t sure Marriage at Sea would scratch my itch for adventure, as delving into the dynamics of a marriage while surviving in the middle of the ocean (and Maralyn couldn’t swim!) didn’t seem that riveting. However, as soon as I started it, I realized I had read the book it was based on, Staying Alive, by Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, years ago. I had forgotten much of the story of how their sailboat was upended by a whale, and what they had to do to survive on a raft for over 115 days, so it was an interesting revisit, especially since the experience was viewed through a different lens. But what was most interesting was the “after” story of how they (and their relationship) survived the attention of the press, and what they had to do to earn a living.