When British television presenter Paul Heiney's son, Nicholas, committed suicide at age 23, Paul and his wife, Sunday Times columnist Libby Purves, were rocked to the core. Although he had struggled with severe depression for many years, Nicholas had been a highly gifted and promising young man.
Among other things, Nicholas was a keen sailor, with several of his posthumously-published writings having a nautical theme. To try to reconnect with this happier memory of his son, Paul decides to set out--alone--on a voyage he would have liked them to have embarked upon together.
Cape Horn is the sailor's Everest: One of the most remote and bleak parts of the world, it takes courage, physical strength, and mental fortitude to face its tempestuous seas, violent winds, and barren landscape. During the voyage, Paul finds peace of mind and a way to face the future without his son.
Poignant, moving, funny, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, Paul's account of setting his own course through seemingly insurmountable grief makes for a powerful story. Injected with humor, perceptiveness, and philosophy, recounting his highs, lows, frustrations, and triumphs, the honesty and openness of Paul's story makes this very personal account a universal tale--for sailors and non-sailors alike.