From the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic and to ski over land to the South Pole, comes a true memoir of an explorer who maps her own wo...
read full description
reviews
May 26, 2011
Saxton B. Little
rated it: 
This is my kind of book. It's not only that I live vicariously through adventures such as this but that I also get a bang out of the determination, strength, and discipline exhibited by women such as Tori Murden McClure. Her goal; to be the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic. Building, determining supplies, and preparation of The American Pearl are interesting to read about. Fitting her 6ft frame into the confined space of her sleeping chamber, which she describes as the width of two co
More...
Aug 17, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it: 
I truly enjoyed this memoir from local writer, Tori Murden McClure. Louisville has these large signs on the sides of buildings proclaiming hometown heros such as Muhammad Ali, PeeWee Reese, Diane Sawyer and "Kentucky's Colonel" Colonel Sanders. I used to pass the large poster proclaiming, "Tori's Louisville" everyday. However, I only recently found out she's recognized, she was the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
She's also reached the South Pol More...
She's also reached the South Pol More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 30, 2009
Map
rated it:
I never ask why hardy souls attempt to conquer mountains, or go off into the woods with nothing but the clothes on their back and a few essentials, or row across the ocean solo. I understand that need to test personal limits, to drill down to the essence of individuality to discover just what stuff one's made of. Tori McClure set off to row across the Atlantic by herself. For a woman who constantly pushed herself to overcome and achieve the impossible, who had lived with overcoming obstacles her
More...
May 17, 2009
Seth
rated it:
This book was formerly titled I Had To Row Across The Ocean, which is far more fitting than the title it currently bears. It's unmistakeably to the point and you know what kind of book you're getting into. But regardless, A Pearl In The Storm is a great inspirational read no matter the title, and honestly an unexpected jewel among nonfictional nature works. Who would have thought for a book about rowing?
To row across an ocean is quite a feat. Tori Murden McClure also skied to the Sou More...
To row across an ocean is quite a feat. Tori Murden McClure also skied to the Sou More...
Feb 04, 2010
Karen
rated it:
This book is about the journey of Tori McClure as she rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. She tells the story of her voyage interspersed with stories from her childhood. Her quest was to vanquish the helplessness she felt as a child when she was unable to protect her brother with intellectual disabilities from harm.
I love this passage:
Over time, Mrs. Longley learned more and more about the world in which I lived. Mrs. Longley did not accept excuses. She explained, " More...
I love this passage:
Over time, Mrs. Longley learned more and more about the world in which I lived. Mrs. Longley did not accept excuses. She explained, " More...
Jul 30, 2011
Kris
rated it: 
I wanted to hate this book. I felt that way even more when I had to find it in the Sports section under "Nautical". Book club selections were meant to open my mind to other types of reads. So, there I went digging in to page one....
I liked the overall message of this book. I liked the writing style of going back and forth, leaving me to feel like I was on the ride of her life. I felt like I had been ravaged by not one trip, but TWO.
However, I had a hard tim More...
I liked the overall message of this book. I liked the writing style of going back and forth, leaving me to feel like I was on the ride of her life. I felt like I had been ravaged by not one trip, but TWO.
However, I had a hard tim More...
Jun 02, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
Tori Murden McClure is a darn amazing woman. As the current president of Spalding University here in Louisville, I had the opportunity to hear her speak once and was captivated by her two minutes at the microphone. Turns out not only is she a great speaker, but also a tough-as-nails, creative, adventuresome, intelligent, inspiring, and bonified crazy woman. This book details her attempt to become the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic. I was awed by Murden McClure's resourcefulness,
More...
May 26, 2011
Carol
rated it:
This is my kind of book. It's not only that I live vicariously through adventures such as this but that I also get a bang out of the determination, strength, and discipline exhibited by women such as Tori Murden McClure. Her goal; to be the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic. Building, determining supplies, and preparation of The American Pearl are interesting to read about. Fitting her 6ft frame into the confined space of her sleeping chamber, which she describes as the width of two co
More...
4 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Sep 19, 2010
Janet
rated it:
This is an amazing book that I would recommend to just about anyone. Mcclure's story of how she attempted to row across the Atlantic (an incredible, inspiring, frightening narrative) is intercut with stories from her childhood, growing up being the defender of her autistic brother. She was in fights all the time, and until she was in high school none of the adults around her seemed to have any awareness of the violence she and her brother endured. The result was a personality driven to defy vuln
More...
Nov 19, 2010
Peggy
rated it:
This is a book about failure and what you aceive with it. Tori Murden decided to row across the Atlantic Ocean from the US to Europe. Although she worked very hard to accomplish this, she came up short of her goal. Bad weather kept her from completing the task. It took Muhammad Ali to teach her that she needed to complete her goal so she would have no regrets.
I was surprised that the book was mostly about her failure on the first attempt and not the success of the second attempt. More...
I was surprised that the book was mostly about her failure on the first attempt and not the success of the second attempt. More...
Sep 08, 2010
Tina
rated it:
This is an incredible story of one woman's quest to find her place in the world. In reading it, I discovered some things about myself (which makes for the best kind of read, in my opinion). McClure had struggled for years to prove her equality with men, overcome her failures with strengths, and compensate for prejudice with education. I love what she says of her findings, "I had finished my journey. In the beginning I thought I could not be worthy of love until I had beaten helplesness.
More...
Jul 26, 2010
Jennie
rated it:
This was a bookclub pick and I dreaded having to read it. But within 20 pages I was hooked. It was completely inspiring as well as fascinating. There is some corny writing, the title belonging to that category. I love learning something new when I read a book and you will walk away with so much interesting information after reading this. Ms. Murden McClure delves into some painful personal history but shies away from certain areas that might have rounded out her story a little more (her parents
More...
Apr 27, 2009
Victoria
rated it:
This was an AMAZING book! I heard an interview with Murden McClure as I was driving to return my rental car in NC - I wanted to finish listening, but had to return the keys! As soon as I got to a bookstore, I picked it up - and was surprised to find it buried in the Nautical section and not in the front with the exciting new arrivals and NY Times best sellers (which I think it's destined to become!). I couldn't put the book down! She gives an elegant account of her journey - crossing the Atlanti
More...
Sep 15, 2009
Janie
rated it:
This book found me, literally jumped off the shelf at the library from the "new books" shelf. Since I learned to row this summer, it seemed like a good fit and it was. Yet Tori Murde McClure is way more than a rower --- she made two attempts to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat ... surviving hurricanes and more --- just an unbelievable adventure (some film clips are on the internet). I was inspired by her sense of exploration not only this journey but others in deep, cold snow and
More...
Feb 23, 2012
David
rated it:
This is one of the best books I have read this year. It is inspirational, literate, and funny. Tori Murden McClure personifies the cardinal virtue of courage. She is too hard on herself, but wonderfully human. Perhaps, she had to row the Atlantic to understand John Donne: "No man is an island." And in the final analysis, all we have is each other. This is an important and amazing book.
There is a plus here: Tori Murden McClure graduated from Louisville Collegiate School and was fri More...
There is a plus here: Tori Murden McClure graduated from Louisville Collegiate School and was fri More...
Nov 13, 2010
Erin
rated it:
It took me less than one week to finish this book, I did not want to put it down.
The story that Tori Murden McClure tells in this memoir is amazing. She is an excellent story teller - she writes in a way that is engaging, personable, and eloquent. The reader feels as if they are in the rowboat with her.
I already knew a little bit about this book before reading it, which spoiled some of the suspense, unfortunately. Try not to read much about the book before you start, and More...
The story that Tori Murden McClure tells in this memoir is amazing. She is an excellent story teller - she writes in a way that is engaging, personable, and eloquent. The reader feels as if they are in the rowboat with her.
I already knew a little bit about this book before reading it, which spoiled some of the suspense, unfortunately. Try not to read much about the book before you start, and More...
Dec 18, 2009
In November, Tori McClure came to my campus to give a talk. It was amazing, life-changing. I had the opportunity to speak to McClure afterwards, but chickened out. What could I say to a woman who ran a homeless shelter, hunted lions in Africa, attended Harvad School of Divinity, skied to the South Pole, worked in a special needs camp, and rowed across the Atlantic? "How do I get to do all the things you've done?" That's what I wanted to say. That was the night I gave in to Fr. Larry an
More...
Nov 15, 2011
Donna Lyn
rated it:
Tori was able to weave her adventure into a memoir - hopping between the two with such fluidity...it was heart breakingly brilliant. I especially loved the passage on Page 243 where she compares backcountry to civilization. Page 101-102...more brilliance...words and insight you can eat off a plate! She is extremely smart yet she used language that pulled me into the storm with her. At times I literally felt sea sick reading this...at times I was in tears...I have only one question (well two, but
More...
Dec 19, 2010
Kimberly
rated it:
This was the Boone County "One Book One Community" selection for this fall. Normally I avoid these kind of "triumph in adversity" stories. I'd kind of been putting off reading this one, too. My stack of books here at home had run low so I reluctantly started it. I'm glad I did as it was worth it. The only thing that annoyed me was her sense of self pity upon her return for what she considered to be a "failure." I still don't understand what drives people to do
More...
Sep 20, 2009
Jonene
rated it:
I had to read this book purely from morbid curiosity. Why would anyone, much less a woman, want to ROW a rowboat across the Atlantic Ocean? I expected a crazy adventure story like Kon Tiki, and if you like those, you won't be disappointed. (Watch out! Be prepared to cringe through the hurricane chapters.) But then, there is a lot more to it. It was a lot deeper and more touching than I expected. I really enjoyed the honesty, the lack of bravado, and her struggle to know just how to help in the w
More...
Aug 18, 2010
Therese
rated it:
When I tell people about his book, "Its the story of the first woman to row across the Atlantic," I always add, "But its a lot more interesting than it sounds."
This is more the tale of the first woman who FAILED to row across the Atlantic. She eventually made it, but the bulk of the story is her failed attempt. The sailing stuff is offset with a quick tour of the life that turned her into a woman of such fierce fortitude, focusing largely on her childhood, her di More...
This is more the tale of the first woman who FAILED to row across the Atlantic. She eventually made it, but the bulk of the story is her failed attempt. The sailing stuff is offset with a quick tour of the life that turned her into a woman of such fierce fortitude, focusing largely on her childhood, her di More...
Nov 20, 2009
Debra
rated it:
The incredible true story about the first woman to row solo, across the Atlantic Ocean. I picked it up surely by chance, and it ended up being one of my favorite books in a very long time! It is a gripping tale filled with adventure, excitement, inspiration and awe. Tori is one amazing soul! I did not want the story to end.
I passed this along to my husband, and then to our fifteen year old daughter and they both LOVED it! If you are looking for a hero, Tori will fill those shoes More...
I passed this along to my husband, and then to our fifteen year old daughter and they both LOVED it! If you are looking for a hero, Tori will fill those shoes More...
Nov 05, 2010
Anna
rated it:
The author was absolutely crazy to attempt to row the Atlantic Ocean alone through a succession of furious storms without working communication in a 6x20' boat. The story's intensity drew from the critical need to be perfect; mistakes could be fatal. She demonstrated remarkable ingenuity to survive. She related an unrelenting lust for physical and mental achievement which drew her to risk taking. I came to admire her indomitable spirit. It was one of the most enjoyable adventure memoirs
More...
Oct 21, 2009
Jenna
rated it:
Tori Murden McClure is a madwoman. I spent the first hundred or so pages of this book feeling really bad about myself because I, unlike the author, have not gone to Smith, wandered the streets of Boston assisting the homeless, become a nurse, worked for Muhammad Ali, graduated from Harvard, campaigned for the disabled, qualified for the Olympics, cavorted with the charming Ivy League elite, or - oh, yeah - rowed a wooden boat solo across the Atlantic (twice!), all by the age of 35. But hey, I
More...
Oct 15, 2010
Lesley
rated it:
If this had not been a book club selection, I would not have read it. Stories about those who climb mountains or row across oceans or any other similar activities are not my cup of tea. Probably because I'm not interested in doing those things myself.
That being said, the book is not without its good points. There are wonderful passages about good friends and amazing mentors that the author has had the great fortune to have had in her life. Those I enjoyed reading immensely.
More...
That being said, the book is not without its good points. There are wonderful passages about good friends and amazing mentors that the author has had the great fortune to have had in her life. Those I enjoyed reading immensely.
More...
Jun 27, 2010
Candy
rated it: 
Helplessness is a frequent word appearing in A Pearl in the Storm, a memoir by Tori Murden McClure. But I didn't feel for a moment that McClure had one iota of helplessness in her character. She is an adventurer who sees no limits. This is the tale of her solo attempts to row across the Atlantic Ocean. To me, she's a champion, and the total opposite of helpless. Her writing puts you right out there with the whales, sea turtles, sharks and hurricanes. But unlike McClure, I could leave the li
More...
Apr 23, 2010
James
rated it:
The ocean adventure is merely the stage upon which we discover a complex, intelligent, very human woman who suffers from fears, disappointments, pain, suffering and doubts like the rest of us. The real story lies in the courage with which she faces life's various & persistent challenges (beginning with her childhood) and the frank and refreshing clarity with which she bares her soul in the pages of this facinating read. Did a lot of dog-earing.
Mar 07, 2011
Amanda Harris
rated it:
It was a struggle to get through this book. If you like nonfiction and adventure, then you may like this book. I felt it was self indulgent through most of the book and I had a hard time relating to a person who would almost get themselves killed just to do it all over again in order to prove they aren't helpless. In the end, I did appreciate the final understanding that helplessness is apart of being human and the most needed emotions the author showed by opening herself up to loving someone
More...
Feb 10, 2009
Robin
rated it:
2/10/09 update:
This is the email I got in reply to my query about the change of title:
Thanks for your comments. The reason for the title change was spurred by the feedback that we had received from several bookstore accounts, they felt we needed a more concise and compelling title and cover so we decided to go with this look.
First of all, the cover is showing a different title than on the ARC I read! Interesting, I don't think I've ever had that happen. But t More...
This is the email I got in reply to my query about the change of title:
Thanks for your comments. The reason for the title change was spurred by the feedback that we had received from several bookstore accounts, they felt we needed a more concise and compelling title and cover so we decided to go with this look.
First of all, the cover is showing a different title than on the ARC I read! Interesting, I don't think I've ever had that happen. But t More...
May 21, 2010
jane
rated it:
This "Pearl in the Storm" is Groton, Ct.'s Public Library's "One-Book-One-Region" for summer-fall of 2010-has an interesting summary. Does she make it across the Atlantic through fierce hurricanes with out a sail or motor? Should be a suspenseful read!
It is a gripping sea story that kept me reading for 2 days without let up! The story is truly inspirational and her tortures at sea during hurricanes, dolphins, whales and shark encounters, not to mention her 360 deg More...
It is a gripping sea story that kept me reading for 2 days without let up! The story is truly inspirational and her tortures at sea during hurricanes, dolphins, whales and shark encounters, not to mention her 360 deg More...
