A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean
Two storm-wracked trips across the Atlantic Ocean become voyages of self-discovery for McClure, as she explains in this epic tale of adversity and triumph. McClure details her attempts to become the first woman to row across the Atlantic, interspersed with reflections on challenges she has faced in the past. She recounts her struggles to protect her developmentally disabled brother, Lamar, from abuse by neighborhood children; her time at Harvard’s divinity school; and her work with the homeless, all the while describing her battles through towering waves and fierce storms. Her tiny vessel, the American Pearl, is battered by winds throughout the journey, forcing McClure to come to terms with her own vulnerability. Throughout it all, she relies on a loyal cadre of friends who help her attain her goals. Yet, for McClure, perhaps the greatest accomplishment is learning to accept her own weaknesses as she submits to the whims of the ocean swells and allows herself to become receptive to the myriad possibilities of life. --Katherine Boyle