First Light

A thrilling memoir from the first American woman to race a sailboat solo, nonstop around the world, pushed to the limits to find her strength.

When Cole Brauer sets out at age twenty-nine to become the first American woman to race solo around the world (at five feet tall, no less), she is sailing to break free. Racing 130 days alone, nonstop in a 40-foot sailboat, she navigates brutal squalls, near-catastrophic mechanical failures, medical emergencies that push her to her limits, and the crushing loneliness of isolation. But what begins as a high-stakes adventure soon reveals itself to be something more. With only the sea, her boat, and her intuition, Cole must learn when to fight and when to surrender, when to push forward and when to let go. She finds unexpected strength not in domination, but in trust—of herself, her on-shore team, her boat—First Light—and the wild world around her.

More than a memoir of endurance or triumph, First Light is a reckoning with what it means to belong—in a male-dominated sport, in a high-speed world, as well as in your own skin. Cole’s story unfurls with feisty humor and emotional vulnerability, bringing a sharp, rebellious voice to a sport that’s long taken itself too seriously. Cole emerges as a woman in command of her voice and her future, finding peace in chaos and presence in a noisy world.

First Light is both an edge-of-your-seat adventure on the high seas as well as a testament to what’s possible when you rise above doubt, believe that small can still be strong, face down the impossible, and chart your own course.