Admiration for Holly FitzGerald’s
RUTHLESS RIVER
“The ‘survival’ tale has long occupied a storied corner of the travel writing genre, from The Worst Journey in the World to In the Heart of the Sea. Holly FitzGerald’s Ruthless River instantly takes its spot among these giants … In this world of water, the FitzGeralds struggle in vain to find their way back to the river’s current … The couple endures, maintaining hope and affection for each other. It’s this that elevates Ruthless River above the typically heroic tale of survival. In simple, unsentimental terms, Holly FitzGerald has given us a most unlikely love story.”
–Andrew McCarthy, The New York Times Book Review
“If you built a survival-adventure book in a laboratory, you’d end up with Ruthless River . . . A completely unexpected real-life thriller.
—Jon Foro, Omnivoracious (Best Biographies & Memoirs of June)
“Adventurous.”
—Outside Magazine (The Best New Survival Books)
“A harrowing survival saga . . . In vivid, absorbing prose, FitzGerald unspools a story that moves from optimism, energy, and a thrilled sense of adventure to abject fear and near starvation.”
—Nina MacLaughlin, The Boston Globe
“Both travel memoir and shocking adventure story, like a real-life Survivor or Naked and Afraid . . . A powerful story about survival, love, and faith in the face of impossible odds . . . Unputdownable . . . absolutely fascinating.”
—Katie Lawrence, Library Journal
“Vivid and consistently compelling . . . An absorbing tale of survival, love, and the generosity of people who helped save their lives.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A detailed, high-stakes debut memoir . . . FitzGerald weaves in the stories from their past with palpable, evocative details of their daily struggles with starvation, strong currents, and despair, all while the couple’s love, self-knowledge, and faith deepen . . . Recommended for fans of survival narratives, coming-of-maturity stories, and travelogues from off the beaten path.”
—Louisa Whitfield-Smith, Booklist
“Adventure, romance, danger, salvation—all in a story that’s beautifully told and, incredibly, really happened. Pick up Ruthless River, but be careful. You might find it hard to put down. This is one of those memoirs you won’t soon forget.”
—Damon DiMarco, author of Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11
“There are lots of adventure stories out there, lots of romances, lots of spiritual memoirs, but I know of no other book that combines all three genres with such grace and beauty. Ruthless River is thrilling—edge-of-your-seat, hold-your-breath thrilling—but it’s so much more than that. It’s a meditation on how we find meaning and the strength to survive in an impossible circumstance, and one of the most tender love stories you’ll ever read. I love this book.”
—Kerry Egan, author of On Living
“The best real-life survival tale since Cheryl Strayed’s Wild . . . A jaw-dropper of a memoir . . . A mind-blower of a debut . . . A survival tale so extreme, so insane, so bizarre, that Hollywood couldn’t make it up. It’s stranger than fiction.”
—Lauren Daley, South Coast Today
“A spectacular, frightening, and amazing odyssey that opens a window into the soul. I loved this book; I couldn’t put it down.”
—Lynne Cox, author of Swimming in the Sink
“One of the great survival tales. An almost unbearable story told with a physical and emotional intensity that draws the reader in, not just as witness, but as virtual participant. It’s an exhausting, painful, inspiring read.”
—Michael Palin, author of Traveling to Work
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