Wavewalker: A Memoir of Breaking Free

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 2,864 ratings

Price: 22.86

Last update: 10-11-2024


About this item

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

A TIMES BEST MEMOIR OF 2023

‘Grippingly vivid and pacey’ THE TIMES

‘A seven-year old girl on a seventy-foot yacht, for ten years, over fifty thousand miles of sailing’ SIMON WINCHESTER

‘A seven-year old girl on a seventy-foot yacht, for ten years, over fifty thousand miles of sailing … a fantastic story of a truly Odyssean journey across all the world’s great oceans – but is also the inspiring story of the developing of a restless and inquiring mind’ SIMON WINCHESTER

'An astonishing almost day-by-day account of [a] hazardous journey and its legacy’ TELEGRAPH

‘This is a story of an epic childhood journey, so exciting and so shocking it is hard to know whether you’re reading about a dream or a nightmare… Wavewalker is thrilling, horrifying, beautifully written – I couldn’t put it down’ ED BALLS

Aged just seven, Suzanne Heywood set sail with her parents and brother on a three-year voyage around the world. What followed turned instead into a decade-long way of life, through storms, shipwrecks, reefs and isolation, with little formal schooling. No one else knew where they were most of the time and no state showed any interest in what was happening to the children.

Suzanne fought her parents, longing to return to England and to education and stability. This memoir covers her astonishing upbringing, a survival story of a child deprived of safety, friendships, schooling and occasionally drinking water… At seventeen Suzanne earned an interview at Oxford University and returned to the UK.

From the bestselling author of What Does Jeremy Think?, Wavewalker is the incredible true story of how the adventure of a lifetime became one child’s worst nightmare – and how her determination to educate herself enabled her to escape.

‘A classic memoir of childhood. This is a book that every parent should read to consider the consequences of their midlife crises, and every child should read to learn how to deal with impossible mums and dads, as well as boils and barnacles’ Mail on Sunday 5*

‘An electrifying story about an extraordinary childhood, and Heywood tells it with remarkable clarity and assurance . . . an engrossing book that pitches the reader into the highs and lows of a young life spent in the “Wavewalker School of the Sea”’TLS

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.


Top reviews from the United States

Liz Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars well told tale of unusual upbringing
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2024
Well written, detailed, but was interesting. Amazing stories of danger on the high seas and family drama that is unbelievable.
Patricia Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible story!
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2024
A truly remarkable and compelling story that is hard to put down; very thorough and well-written. When I finished I had a mix of emotions - sadness at a life hijacked by someone else’s dream, the loss of control over one’s life choices, the complicated family dynamic and fractured relationships, the safety concerns for children participating in a very challenging journey, and the lack of recognition of the sacrifices made by the children to fulfill their parents dreams while their own goals were left ignored and/or forgotten and in some cases sabotaged. The sadness was offset by the triumphant determination, resourcefulness and resilience of the author who against all odds was able to complete her education and live a very successful professional career. She lost so much in the process but emerged a strong woman who was able to heal through telling her story. I highly recommend this book!!
JLH
4.0 out of 5 stars interesting Childhood
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2024
I can’t imagine what the author must have gone through as a child trapped on a boat.
It certainly shows true parental trust that a child must have. It’s unfortunate that over the years those parents betrayed that trust so many times. The experience of sailing around the world and learning about more cultures than I will even think about in my lifetime is amazing. I will say what I really didn’t understand about the story was how desperate they were for money but she was still able to figure out how to travel back to England…and then she and Michael were able to travel back to see her parents and back before she started university. Where did that money come from ? It’s a traumatic, interesting, but head scratching story.
Fawn L.
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing read.
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
What a great story of resilience and courage. I highly recommend this book. What a fantastic story of a young women who survived so much.
MH
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024
I appreciate Suzanne writing this and sharing her life story. I don't know her but I was so proud of her! What an amazing life, good and bad.
Paula Sheehan
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book!!
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024
Sue, I loved how you presented the story lines of the decade of your life with your family sailing. Your Dad was an adventurous man. Staying in grey, damp, cold UK bored him. He craved sunshine and fun. He taught you amazing life skill sets. You and Jon survived. You children lived a colorful childhood. I took up sailing 4 years ago and loved this story. Thank you for writing it.
nsbea
4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
Overall, it was a very interesting book. You have to admire the author for what she was able to achieve despite her circumstances. Like another reviewer, I also wondered how she could remember details from such a young age, yet she's obviously very intelligent and it's not out of the realm of possibility and she was also able to refer back to earlier documentation. I also detected a bit of a whiny victim mentality in her portrayal of her teen life, but no matter how you cut it, she WAS a victim of nothing short of parental selfishness and neglect/abandonment. I read her brother does not view his childhood as she does, but he also didn't seem to have the same desire and drive to achieve an education (despite unsupportive parents), and instead preferred a more easy, aimless life, thus meeting less resistance from his parents apparently.
I have to applaud the author for writing this book. I hope it brings healing.
m. cosper
3.0 out of 5 stars Damaged Book Jacket
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
A little frustrated considering it’s a hard cover book, I don’t want to spend $30 and get a ripped book jacket…
Customer image
m. cosper
3.0 out of 5 stars Damaged Book Jacket
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
A little frustrated considering it’s a hard cover book, I don’t want to spend $30 and get a ripped book jacket…
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Customer image

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