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438 Days
438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea | Jonathan Franklin
17 posts | 19 read | 25 to read
The best survival book in a decade (Outside magazine), 438 Days is the true story of the fisherman who survived fourteen months in a small boat drifting seven thousand miles across the Pacific Ocean. On November 17, 2012, a pair of fishermen left the coast of Mexico for a weekend fishing trip in the open Pacific. That night, a violent storm ambushed them as they were fishing eighty miles offshore. As gale force winds and ten-foot waves pummeled their small, open boat from all sides and nearly capsized them, captain Salvador Alvarenga and his crewmate cut away a two-mile-long fishing line and began a desperate dash through crashing waves as they sought the safety of port. Fourteen months later, on January 30, 2014, Alvarenga, now a hairy, wild-bearded and half-mad castaway, washed ashore on a nearly deserted island on the far side of the Pacific. He could barely speak and was unable to walk. He claimed to have drifted from Mexico, a journey of some seven thousand miles. 438 Days is the first-ever account of one of the most amazing survival stories in modern times. Based on dozens of hours of exclusive interviews with Alvarenga, his colleagues, search-and-rescue officials, the remote islanders who found him, and the medical team that saved his life, 438 Days is an unforgettable study of the resilience, will, ingenuity and determination required for one man to survive more than a year lost and adrift at sea.
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review
ClairesReads
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Pickpick

Big fan of survival stories, big fan of stories about the relentless power of the ocean. This ticked both. A compelling, inspirational story of survival at sea. Great on audio.

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Luulit
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https://www.luulit.com/product/438-days-an-extraordinary-true-story-of-survival-...

438 Days is the miraculous account of the man who survived alone and adrift at sea longer than anyone in recorded history - as told to journalist Jonathan Franklin in dozens of exclusive interviews....

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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
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Pickpick

Amazing survival story! A 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read
In 2012, Alvarenga, a Mexican fisherman, is swept into the Pacific in his small boat and is tossed across the ocean for over a year.
The author also creates a riveting story by describing Alvarenga‘s life both before and after his ordeal.
Highly recommended!

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Beatlefan129
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Pickpick

This is absolutely the craziest true story I have ever read. A fisherman got pulled out to sea during a horrible storm off the coast of Mexico in 2012. He lost his motor, radio, and most of his gear as he drifted farther and farther into the open ocean in his small boat. He managed to survive an incredible 438 days at sea through a combination of his survival skills and innate optimism before washing ashore on the Marshall Islands 9000 miles away

Suet624 This was a fantastic book. I think if it quite often, especially the part about coming across all that garbage. Grabbing sneakers out of the pile. And weren‘t there food scraps from McDonalds too? Or am I making that up? 5y
SauerPatch Wow. So, The Life if Pi but a true story? 😦 Can‘t stack fast enough! 5y
Geenie Fictional? 5y
See All 7 Comments
Beatlefan129 @Suet624 All that garbage in the ocean is a sad thing, but it did help keep him alive. I don‘t remember anything about McDonalds though, mostly plastic bottles and some rotten food 5y
Beatlefan129 @SauerPatch @Geenie Yes, a real life version of The Life of Pi! This is non-fiction, the author conducted extensive interviews with the fisherman Jose Alvarenga in order to tell his story 5y
Geenie Thank 👉🏼. Oh, nice 👍 review! ❤️ 5y
Crazeedi Just. Wow. I cant even imagine 5y
75 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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readtheworld
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this true story of a Salvadoran fisherman who was dragged out to sea by a violent storm — and then spent more than a year adrift in the open sea.

#nonfiction #readtheworld #audiobook

35 likes1 stack add
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sblbooks
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#NFNov Book 12 finished ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TIL Salvador Alvarenga survived adrift at Sea longer than anyone in recorded history.
I highly recommend this detailed account of survival.
@rsteve388 @Clwojick

rsteve388 9 pts 5y
Clwojick I could see myself really enjoying this on audio. Stacking! 5y
25 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Christinak
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Pickpick

Wow! What an amazing story - riveting! I ended up downloading the audiobook so I could listen when I could not sit and read. I‘m so glad I picked this up.

46 likes1 stack add
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CaseyMoore
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Pickpick

This book was great. It is an amazing story, but the book also teaches a lot about survival and enduring unbelievable hardship.

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HelloZombie
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Pickpick

This book was so inspirational! In this true story, it‘s unfathomable to wrap your mind around his experience, but you do it anyways. You feel the lows but then you feel his highs over the tiniest successes. I reflect on this journey often, to center myself.

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HelloZombie
Pickpick

I found this story beyond inspiring!

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SandyW
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Pickpick

@Suet624 wrote about this recently.
I love survival stories. Vicariously living through these impossible situations almost always grabs me.
I found myself skipping ahead during the foundation chapters, but the survival story was incredible. In other books, the person is rescued and you never hear about the long road back to living in society. This book covers that as well.
There were a few slow spots & difficult moments, but overall a good read!

Suet624 You‘re right - the author did a good job talking about the aftermath and recovery phase. What survival books did you like the best? 7y
SandyW @Suet624 My two favorites are (perhaps the obvious choices) Alive, about the soccer team that crashed in the Andes, and Into Thin Air - the 1996 Everest disaster. I also enjoy fictionalized survival stories and post apocalyptic fiction. And you? 7y
Suet624 I‘ll have to look back at my notes but Endurance about the Shackleton expedition was incredible. 7y
See All 7 Comments
SandyW @Suet624 Sounds interesting. I've stacked it. Thanks. 7y
rwmg A fsacinating one that also went into what happened after the rescue was 7y
rwmg My RL bookclub was lucky enough to be able to Skype with the author when we read it. 7y
SandyW @rwmg Stacked, thanks for the recommendation. And how exciting re the author Skype! 7y
36 likes7 comments
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Suet624
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[He] was terrified by the sounds of these huge unseen animals... Their invisible splashing felt like an attack launched by forces hiding...directly below his boat. … Leatherback turtles cruising the open Pacific weigh up to 2,000 pounds ... A giant squid caught in the Pacific had an eye that measured sixteen inches across. Most of these animals surface at night in a cacophony of grunts, splashes and, according to Alvarenga, piercing shrieks.

Suet624 Picture this...alone in the ocean, adrift, moonless night. 😒😣😭 7y
SandyW Wow. Sounds like a compelling read. 7y
57 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Suet624
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I‘ve seen photos of piles of garbage floating in parts of the ocean. Reading about what he found, including on one occasion food scraps in a plastic garbage bag, was disturbing.

JaclynW Very disturbing! 7y
LibrarianToujours Ew 😖☹️ 7y
47 likes3 comments
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Suet624
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Pickpick

The author does a great job of recreating the 14-month, 7,000 mile journey of Salvador Alvarenga. How this man survives, adrift with no oars or motor in a small fishing boat, is impressive. Being a fisherman by trade certainly helped but his desire to see his daughter again and his positive attitude kept him alive.

58 likes2 stack adds
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Suet624
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Sinusitis and terrible tooth pain today but thankfully the dentist gave me some Tylenol #3. My experience is nothing compared to the two guys in this book. Just started and hooked.

RohitSawant Sorry to hear, toothaches can be agonizing. Hope you feel better! 💜 7y
britt_brooke Hope you are better soon! 7y
readordierachel Oh no! Feel better! 7y
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batsy Take care and hope you're feeling better soon. 7y
MyNamesParadise Feel better! Sinusitis is the worst! 7y
LauraBeth Hope you feel better - honestly - there isn‘t much worse pain than tooth pain 7y
CatLass007 Sorry you‘re not feeling well. I hope that changes soon. 7y
Suet624 @MyNamesParadise @Laurabeth I‘d rather go through labor than have this. 😂 ooowwww. 7y
Suet624 @CatLass007 thanks so much. Hoping by tonight all meds will kick in. 😁 7y
Suet624 @batsy @ReadOrDieRachel Thanks so much. 💕 7y
Suet624 @rohit-sawant oh boy. You‘re so right. These pain meds aren‘t touching it. And thank you! 7y
Suet624 @britt_brooke thanks so much. 7y
54 likes12 comments
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valeriegeary
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Littens! I am now volunteering once a month at my library's bookstore! These used-to-be library books are now on sale to the public for cheap cheap cheap! I have given myself a $5/month allowance so I don't bring ALL the books home. It's hard not to with so many interesting titles. Like this one! A true story of a fisherman stranded at sea--adrift, alone, surviving--for fourteen months!! #tbrtemptation #librarylove

AmyG Sometimes volunteering is very challenging. ;) 7y
valeriegeary @AmyG 🤣🤣🤣 7y
Tamra Wow, that does sound fascinating! 7y
LauraJ Your library is so cool! 7y
65 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
catatonic1242
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Pickpick

Slow to start, this book takes off at a wicked pace by the third chapter. Franklin has done his research, but it's never ponderous - instead, he weaves it seamlessly into Alvarenga's epic story, painting a full portrait of survival adrift.

5 likes1 stack add