Overview

A terrifying true story of a couple who was taken prisoner by pirates and lived to tell the tale

On October 23, 2009, Somali pirates kidnapped Paul and Rachel Chandler from their sailing boat, the Lynn Rival, in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. In this remarkable memoir, the Chandlers recount their terrifying ordeal, revealing the inspiring and poignant story behind the dramatic headlines. The book chronicles the aftermath of the attack, and how the Chandlers’ captors held them in Somalia for more than a year while trying to extort millions of dollars from their middle-class family. It goes on to describe how despite enduring threats, intimidation, solitary confinement, and even whippings, their unshakable belief in each other and their determination to survive sustained them. With its detailed, day-to-day account of the experience of being held captive by pirates, this unique and inspiring story will resonate with travelers the world over.

Reviews

"A tender account of [the Chandlers'] devotion to each other, and ultimately a triumphant story of overcoming the odds."  —BoatU.S.

Author Biography

Paul Chandler is a Cambridge-educated civil engineer. Rachel Chandler is a former government economist. Sarah Edworthy is a journalist who has worked for the Daily Telegraph, Harpers & Queen, the London Daily News, and Times. She cowrote The Daily Telegraph Formula One Years, El Macca: Four Years at Real Madrid, and My Championship Year.