My husband is a fan of David Grann, and after reading this, he insisted I read it so that he could talk about it with me, so I did!

David Grann’s latest tells the gripping tale of a British warship, The Wager, that crashes on the coast of Patagonia in 1740. After months of fighting for survival on a deserted island, 2 separate parties finally arrive home in England with vastly different tales to tell of what transpired in the moments leading up to the shipwreck as well as the aftermath.

Saying that this was a wild ride feels like an understatement. I was left in awe of the incredible odds humans can overcome to survive. Grann paints such a vivid picture of life on the sea in this era and what it took for men to survive for years on the ocean. The hardships they endured both on the water and while deserted on an island are unfathomable. In addition to the stories of the individual seamen, the author is very skillful at showing how the events that transpired became a critique of imperialism, the very motivation for The Wager’s mission.