Review of “438 Days” by Jonathan Franklin

I wrote the following review on Goodreads

438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea by Jonathan Franklin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of Jose Salvador Alvarenga who was adrift on the Pacific Ocean for 438 days of 2012-2014. A simple man in his prime, Alvarenga is tough, smart and experienced about the sea. He relies on those qualities, plus confidence and wits, to get out of tight spots. No ordinary sharker, he’s well respected. He even knows that his mind must be in the right state to survive adrift on the ocean. You may think this guy has all the qualities one can ask for when facing indefinite hopelessness. But no. There are still things to learn, and perhaps his most outstanding quality is the ability to learn them.

This story is similar to the part of Unbroken when the bomber crew was adrift on the ocean after being shot down. But even if you’ve read Unbroken, this is well worth reading.

The writing is very clear and easy to understand. Never gets in the way of the story. I appreciate the background information peppered throughout the book to enrich my understanding of the bigger picture. They are spot on and helpful, never overdone or distracting.