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A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean
In June 1998, Tori McClure set out to row across the Atlantic Ocean by herself in a twenty-three-foot plywood boat with no motor or sail. It was a journey that affected her life in unexpected ways for years to come.
"In the end," writes Tori McClure, "I know I rowed across the Atlantic to find my heart, but in the beginning, I wasn't aware that it was missing."
During June 1998, Tori McClure set out to row across the Atlantic Ocean by herself in a twenty-three-foot plywood boat with no motor or sail. Within days she lost all communication with shore, but nevertheless she decided to keep going. Not only did she lose the sound of a friendly voice, she lost updates on the location of the Gulf Stream and on the weather. Unfortunately for Tori, 1998 is still on record as the worst hurricane season in the North Atlantic. In deep solitude and perilous conditions, she was nonetheless determined to prove what one person with a mission can do. When she was finally brought to her knees by a series of violent storms that nearly killed her, she had to signal for help and go home in what felt like complete disgrace.
Back in Kentucky, however, Tori's life began to change in unexpected ways. She fell in love. At the age of thirty-five, she embarked on a serious relationship for the first time, making her feel even more vulnerable than sitting alone in a tiny boat in the middle of the Atlantic. She went to work for Muhammad Ali, who told her that she did not want to be known as the woman who "almost" rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. And she knew that he was right.
In this thrilling story of high adventure and romantic quest, Tori McClure discovers through her favorite way—the hard way—that the most important thing in life is not to prove you are superhuman but to fully to embrace your own humanity. With a wry sense of humor and a strong voice, she gives us a true memoir of an explorer who maps her world with rare emotional honesty.
"In the end," writes Tori McClure, "I know I rowed across the Atlantic to find my heart, but in the beginning, I wasn't aware that it was missing."
During June 1998, Tori McClure set out to row across the Atlantic Ocean by herself in a twenty-three-foot plywood boat with no motor or sail. Within days she lost all communication with shore, but nevertheless she decided to keep going. Not only did she lose the sound of a friendly voice, she lost updates on the location of the Gulf Stream and on the weather. Unfortunately for Tori, 1998 is still on record as the worst hurricane season in the North Atlantic. In deep solitude and perilous conditions, she was nonetheless determined to prove what one person with a mission can do. When she was finally brought to her knees by a series of violent storms that nearly killed her, she had to signal for help and go home in what felt like complete disgrace.
Back in Kentucky, however, Tori's life began to change in unexpected ways. She fell in love. At the age of thirty-five, she embarked on a serious relationship for the first time, making her feel even more vulnerable than sitting alone in a tiny boat in the middle of the Atlantic. She went to work for Muhammad Ali, who told her that she did not want to be known as the woman who "almost" rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. And she knew that he was right.
In this thrilling story of high adventure and romantic quest, Tori McClure discovers through her favorite way—the hard way—that the most important thing in life is not to prove you are superhuman but to fully to embrace your own humanity. With a wry sense of humor and a strong voice, she gives us a true memoir of an explorer who maps her world with rare emotional honesty.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2009
117 people are currently reading
3122 people want to read
About the author
Tori Murden McClure
3 books22 followersTori Murden McClure is best known as the first woman and first American to row solo and unassisted across the Atlantic Ocean. She was also the first woman and first American to travel overland to the geographic South Pole. McClure has completed major climbs on several continents. She is the President of Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. She has worked as chaplain of Boston City Hospital, as policy assistant to the Mayor of Louisville, director of a shelter for homeless women, and has worked with the boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali. McClure recounts her journey across the Atlantic in her memoir A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean, finding that what she is looking for lies not in a superhuman show of strength, but rather in embracing what it means to be human.
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December 6, 2017
Onvan : A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean - Nevisande : Tori Murden McClure - ISBN : 61718866 - ISBN13 : 9780061718861 - Dar 304 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2009
August 18, 2010
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 Pole, served as development director for the Muhammad Ali Center and now serves as president of Spalding University. She's a fascinating woman with a passion for education and I'm confident she'll continue Spalding's amazing growth. She's someone I'd like to meet although, I'll probably be too shy to say something meaningful. ;) Thankfully, I felt I could connect with her through her powerful writing of her journey of discovery across the Atlantic.
Interestingly, I read most of the book on the beach in Destin, FL. It was a great soundtrack of waves and seagulls as McClure described seeing dolphins, whales, sharks swimming in the waters near her as well as a squid that stuck to the boat after a storm. I then left my beach reading to go back to work and found myself "rowing" in my dreams and feeling the waves jostling me about. My first few days at work were filled with preparations for our annual client conference, so I was definitely feeling a large wave about to crash over me. I think I could at least think of McClure's experience and strength to ride out the wave while awake.
What fascinated me was McClure's strength to prepare mentally for such a feat. Of course she was physically strong as a rower, but to have the skill to chart her own course across the Atlantic, make boat repairs, makeshift communications and to keep going in the face of nothingness in between storms. Then there was the factor of being alone. I often find myself relishing some "alone" time. Nothing scares me more than social events which is I trait I share with McClure. Yet, to be alone for such a long time and to willingly put herself out there - that takes a different type of preparation. A mix of extreme intelligence and stubborness.
In this aloneness, with only the voices in her head, McClure finds her greatest weakness is the stubborn desire to prove herself and be alone to shield herself from hurt. She finds to complete her journey across an ocean, it takes more than rowing skill. It takes love and communication.
Great read about personal journeys. Great read about great Louisvillians from Tori, to Ali, to the staff at Blue Dog Bakery making a donation to keep boats afloat.... this was a beautiful story and I'm glad Tori Murden McClure shared it.
She's also reached the South Pole, served as development director for the Muhammad Ali Center and now serves as president of Spalding University. She's a fascinating woman with a passion for education and I'm confident she'll continue Spalding's amazing growth. She's someone I'd like to meet although, I'll probably be too shy to say something meaningful. ;) Thankfully, I felt I could connect with her through her powerful writing of her journey of discovery across the Atlantic.
Interestingly, I read most of the book on the beach in Destin, FL. It was a great soundtrack of waves and seagulls as McClure described seeing dolphins, whales, sharks swimming in the waters near her as well as a squid that stuck to the boat after a storm. I then left my beach reading to go back to work and found myself "rowing" in my dreams and feeling the waves jostling me about. My first few days at work were filled with preparations for our annual client conference, so I was definitely feeling a large wave about to crash over me. I think I could at least think of McClure's experience and strength to ride out the wave while awake.
What fascinated me was McClure's strength to prepare mentally for such a feat. Of course she was physically strong as a rower, but to have the skill to chart her own course across the Atlantic, make boat repairs, makeshift communications and to keep going in the face of nothingness in between storms. Then there was the factor of being alone. I often find myself relishing some "alone" time. Nothing scares me more than social events which is I trait I share with McClure. Yet, to be alone for such a long time and to willingly put herself out there - that takes a different type of preparation. A mix of extreme intelligence and stubborness.
In this aloneness, with only the voices in her head, McClure finds her greatest weakness is the stubborn desire to prove herself and be alone to shield herself from hurt. She finds to complete her journey across an ocean, it takes more than rowing skill. It takes love and communication.
Great read about personal journeys. Great read about great Louisvillians from Tori, to Ali, to the staff at Blue Dog Bakery making a donation to keep boats afloat.... this was a beautiful story and I'm glad Tori Murden McClure shared it.
May 27, 2011
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 coffins and not high enough to sit upright and the thought of people deprivation (at least 100 days alone and phone that malfunctions) made me a bit edgy but didn't seem to faze McClure. Repairs, storms, finding dead squid on deck were more than I could dream of handling but most seemed to be all in a day's row for her. One thing that did throw her into a tizzy was reaching for a chocolate power bar and finding apricot instead.
As much as I was fascinated by the actual diary type journey as Tori rowed across the Atlantic, this could have gotten boring as each day was repetitious out of necessity. I think she knew she had to give us a bit more so rowing days are broken up with chapters about her early life, particularly with stories about her mentally disabled brother, Lamar. Lamar and often Tori, were the brunt of the cruelty that only kids can inflict making Tori her brother's keeper in the true sense of the word, defending him against rocks and slurs. She was a fighter and this caused many problems particularly with her mother. If you believe life's knocks make you stronger, you can see how Tori became the woman she did. Not only a superior athlete she became an excellent student and graduated from Smith, went on to Harvard and after passing the bar eventually becomes the first non-catholic woman president of Spalding University.
Back to the rowing and her goal. That Tori fails in her first attempt and goes on to try it again and succeeds is incredible. In the end though, I still feel there is much that McClure left out; back story that she chose not to share. She mentions many friendships but she keeps the details of these to herself. Her mother, her father; no clue as to what happened to them. Her grandfather told her when putting her story down on paper that it should be a romance. Tori does find love and marries before she attempts the second crossing but other than his help in the project and some butting of two strong personalities we don't hear much about the marriage leaving me to believe the true romance here is The American Pearl.
Despite what I think was lacking, there really is a lot to the whole. Pearl in the Storm is in the end an uplifting memoir. It is a good pick for high school readers, fans of books about strong women, and anyone who likes to read about a winner and how they get to be that way.
As much as I was fascinated by the actual diary type journey as Tori rowed across the Atlantic, this could have gotten boring as each day was repetitious out of necessity. I think she knew she had to give us a bit more so rowing days are broken up with chapters about her early life, particularly with stories about her mentally disabled brother, Lamar. Lamar and often Tori, were the brunt of the cruelty that only kids can inflict making Tori her brother's keeper in the true sense of the word, defending him against rocks and slurs. She was a fighter and this caused many problems particularly with her mother. If you believe life's knocks make you stronger, you can see how Tori became the woman she did. Not only a superior athlete she became an excellent student and graduated from Smith, went on to Harvard and after passing the bar eventually becomes the first non-catholic woman president of Spalding University.
Back to the rowing and her goal. That Tori fails in her first attempt and goes on to try it again and succeeds is incredible. In the end though, I still feel there is much that McClure left out; back story that she chose not to share. She mentions many friendships but she keeps the details of these to herself. Her mother, her father; no clue as to what happened to them. Her grandfather told her when putting her story down on paper that it should be a romance. Tori does find love and marries before she attempts the second crossing but other than his help in the project and some butting of two strong personalities we don't hear much about the marriage leaving me to believe the true romance here is The American Pearl.
Despite what I think was lacking, there really is a lot to the whole. Pearl in the Storm is in the end an uplifting memoir. It is a good pick for high school readers, fans of books about strong women, and anyone who likes to read about a winner and how they get to be that way.
December 21, 2018
Likes: Some people are nuts. I understand having ambitious goals, but rowing a plywood boat through hurricanes? Nope. No thank you. That’s just plain crazy.
This is the type of adventure story I would have adored as a young teen. Pretty much all of the books I read were “person does something extreme in the wilderness” stories. Rowing a boat across the Atlantic definitely counts as extreme. She actually rowed. Like, with her arms. Her boat had no other source of power. Just her body. That’s hard to wrap my lazy mind around.
The author is a badass. When she set out to cross the ocean, she was only a few years older than I am now. Rowing across an ocean wasn’t her first accomplishment. She had also skied to the South Pole, climbed mountains, traveled around the world, become a chaplain and a lawyer, and had a series of fairly awesome jobs. I’m impressed. Most days, I can’t find the motivation to put on pants and leave the house.
This memoir is a quick read. I read the majority of it in one night. It’s fast-paced, kind of funny, and kind of terrifying. There were moments when I didn’t want to put the book down. I stayed up until 2 in the morning to read the hurricane scenes. I knew that Tori would survive (because she wrote this book and because I’ve met her in real life), but I didn’t know how she’d survive. She was trapped in a tiny boat during a hurricane! How could anyone live through that?
Dislikes: Tori spends most of her ocean journey rowing, so the book gets repetitive quickly. There are flashbacks to other parts of her life, but those are repetitive, too, especially in the beginning. I struggled to get into the story because it was all scenes of boat rowing or scenes of child-aged Tori beating up kids at her elementary school. I wanted more variety.
This is going to sound mean, but Tori comes across as pretentious. She screamed long Shakespeare monologues at the waves during a hurricane. I (mostly) liked her, but I could imagine a lot of readers rolling their eyes.
The Bottom Line: If you like real-life adventure stories, I recommend giving this one a try.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense? I have a blog for that.
This is the type of adventure story I would have adored as a young teen. Pretty much all of the books I read were “person does something extreme in the wilderness” stories. Rowing a boat across the Atlantic definitely counts as extreme. She actually rowed. Like, with her arms. Her boat had no other source of power. Just her body. That’s hard to wrap my lazy mind around.
The author is a badass. When she set out to cross the ocean, she was only a few years older than I am now. Rowing across an ocean wasn’t her first accomplishment. She had also skied to the South Pole, climbed mountains, traveled around the world, become a chaplain and a lawyer, and had a series of fairly awesome jobs. I’m impressed. Most days, I can’t find the motivation to put on pants and leave the house.
This memoir is a quick read. I read the majority of it in one night. It’s fast-paced, kind of funny, and kind of terrifying. There were moments when I didn’t want to put the book down. I stayed up until 2 in the morning to read the hurricane scenes. I knew that Tori would survive (because she wrote this book and because I’ve met her in real life), but I didn’t know how she’d survive. She was trapped in a tiny boat during a hurricane! How could anyone live through that?
“First the bad news. I am 980 miles from shore in a half-submerged boat without engine or sail. My body has been beaten to a bloody pulp. I have precisely one liter of fresh water. The good news is that I am alive.” - A Pearl In The Storm
Dislikes: Tori spends most of her ocean journey rowing, so the book gets repetitive quickly. There are flashbacks to other parts of her life, but those are repetitive, too, especially in the beginning. I struggled to get into the story because it was all scenes of boat rowing or scenes of child-aged Tori beating up kids at her elementary school. I wanted more variety.
This is going to sound mean, but Tori comes across as pretentious. She screamed long Shakespeare monologues at the waves during a hurricane. I (mostly) liked her, but I could imagine a lot of readers rolling their eyes.
The Bottom Line: If you like real-life adventure stories, I recommend giving this one a try.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense? I have a blog for that.
September 13, 2013
This woman is AMAZING.
Hard core bad ass.
Decided to row across the Atlantic, yes,ROW, and has to abandon her boat after nearly being killed by a hurricane. She truly is brutalized by the ocean. I was wincing and cringing as she got tossed around in her little boat... I hurt for her!
Mission not accomplished. But wait! What does she do? Heals and goes back out and finishes what she set out to do. I kid you not. She nearly dies, but gets her buns back out there... amazing.
Her writing style/personality seem a little dry, at least to me... but she's a smart woman, and one that is worthy of respect.
If you are searching for an inspirational "WOMEN ROCK" book... this is a good one. I would also suggest Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean by Roz Savage.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64...
Hard core bad ass.
Decided to row across the Atlantic, yes,ROW, and has to abandon her boat after nearly being killed by a hurricane. She truly is brutalized by the ocean. I was wincing and cringing as she got tossed around in her little boat... I hurt for her!
Mission not accomplished. But wait! What does she do? Heals and goes back out and finishes what she set out to do. I kid you not. She nearly dies, but gets her buns back out there... amazing.
Her writing style/personality seem a little dry, at least to me... but she's a smart woman, and one that is worthy of respect.
If you are searching for an inspirational "WOMEN ROCK" book... this is a good one. I would also suggest Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean by Roz Savage.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64...
July 29, 2018
This woman is SO impressive! Her accomplishments are amazing. I enjoyed her ideas on helplessness and how it affects our worldview. I was saddened that the author, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, in crying out in her climactic bout with helplessness, didn't know what god to cry out to -- she didn't know the one true God. I have no accomplishments to compare to hers; I'm a small man with a small life. I don't know much about anything. I certainly don't know everything about God. Still, I am glad I can call out to Him, and know that the God who created Tori Murden McClure, the oceans, and me, knows me, and I know Him.
September 18, 2012
In A Pearl in the Storm, Tori Murden McClure - the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic - attempts an inspiring autobiography-cum-adventure tale with (at least in terms of literary achievement) disastrous results. By attempting to live up to both standards, McClure splits her readers' attentions to little effect.
The more standard autobiographical section centers around McClure's troubles growing up poor, undereducated, and with the burden of being responsible for her younger, developmentally-disabled brother Lamar. Except that she's better than everyone else. All the time. Smarter, stronger, more creative, more independent, McClure can't help but succeed at everything she lays her hand to. The book is inspiring in that she overcomes so many daunting obstacles, yet irritating all the same in that she comes off as a fairly unrelatable character due to her unmitigated stubbornness and tendency to laud herself at all junctures that really matter.
As an adventure tale, the book fares much better: Murden is brave, resourceful, and up against almost ridiculous odds as she punts her twenty-three-foot boat across a hostile ocean. However, the pure repetition of this section (rowed, ate, survived a storm, rowed, rowed, ate, talked to a picture of John Adams in a possible fit of dementia) ultimately sinks it in the end.
I'll be the first to admit I'm not the intended audience for this book. However, even if I were stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean, there's no way I'd read this one again.
The more standard autobiographical section centers around McClure's troubles growing up poor, undereducated, and with the burden of being responsible for her younger, developmentally-disabled brother Lamar. Except that she's better than everyone else. All the time. Smarter, stronger, more creative, more independent, McClure can't help but succeed at everything she lays her hand to. The book is inspiring in that she overcomes so many daunting obstacles, yet irritating all the same in that she comes off as a fairly unrelatable character due to her unmitigated stubbornness and tendency to laud herself at all junctures that really matter.
As an adventure tale, the book fares much better: Murden is brave, resourceful, and up against almost ridiculous odds as she punts her twenty-three-foot boat across a hostile ocean. However, the pure repetition of this section (rowed, ate, survived a storm, rowed, rowed, ate, talked to a picture of John Adams in a possible fit of dementia) ultimately sinks it in the end.
I'll be the first to admit I'm not the intended audience for this book. However, even if I were stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean, there's no way I'd read this one again.
July 30, 2011
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 time liking HER. By the end, I felt for her, but had I felt a connection with her prior to the trips, I would have taken away a much bigger emotional read. The message may have had a stronger impact because I would have WANTED to hear what she said when she doled out the wisdom she learned.
She was so stubborn and pigheaded that I found it very difficult to want to hear. I found my personal take away on page 243-44. That's a mighty long time to wait for a take away.
I wanted to hate this book. I really wanted to hate the author by the last page. Surprisingly, I didnt. And the part I dreaded most, the actual boat information, was interesting and kept me engaged to see what lunatic would actually DO this. :) I am glad to say, I dont feel the need to slay my dragon on the high seas. Thank you to T. M. for taking me along for the ride.
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 time liking HER. By the end, I felt for her, but had I felt a connection with her prior to the trips, I would have taken away a much bigger emotional read. The message may have had a stronger impact because I would have WANTED to hear what she said when she doled out the wisdom she learned.
She was so stubborn and pigheaded that I found it very difficult to want to hear. I found my personal take away on page 243-44. That's a mighty long time to wait for a take away.
I wanted to hate this book. I really wanted to hate the author by the last page. Surprisingly, I didnt. And the part I dreaded most, the actual boat information, was interesting and kept me engaged to see what lunatic would actually DO this. :) I am glad to say, I dont feel the need to slay my dragon on the high seas. Thank you to T. M. for taking me along for the ride.
September 23, 2017
Tori Murden McClure is brilliant, resilient, insightful, and so very courageous. Her memoir is absolutely captivating and I finished within a matter of days. She interweaves a recap of her 1998 rowing expedition across the Atlantic with stories of her childhood and early school experiences. But it’s not a book about rowing or about growing up. It’s a book about finding yourself, about accepting our lack of control over the ultimate forces of the universe, about coming to terms with what it means to live and to die. It’s about finding beauty in our human helplessness, and how that helplessness makes us fragile but also more precious. Acceptance and forgiveness are the main motifs of this book, and I found it absolutely riveting. Definitely recommend.
July 14, 2009
An inredible true story about a woman who rowed across the Atlantic Ocan and found her true self during all of that adversity.
January 20, 2024
It was way better than I expected. I honestly expected to not like the book but it was a very good read. I was “on the edge of my seat” several times.
Read
May 10, 2016 A Pearl in the Storm by Tori Murden McClure was an interesting book, I did enjoy most of it however the beginning of it was a little bit slow. When the beginning of the book is slow it always ends up taking me a longer amount of time then usual because I believe the book is that way the whole time. However, reading a few more pages a night would help with making the book become more and more interesting. The plot finally began to come and the use of descriptions came more often.
"This is one of my least favorite questions. If someone approves of what you do, he will not ask you why you do it; no one says, 'Doctor, why do you want to cure cancer?'. With the question 'why' comes a subtle accusation that one is doing one thing wrong. 'Why' is not a simple question, and I couldn't produce a simple answer, only simple evasions. The best evasion ever uttered came from Georgia Leigh Mallory she he asked, 'Why do you want to climb Everest?' He answered, 'Because it's there" (McClure 10).
The question of "why?" has always caused people to think, cause people to become angry or has also caused people to rethink their decision. The truth behind the question "why?" is still a mystery as the narrator had said in the passage above. One may change your perspective on a silly topic or one may change your perspective on a major topic on which you had your mind set on one thing. That question can alter the truth behind stories or the truth about the topic.
I recommend this book to anyone who has time for reading. Although this book doesn't seem long, it does however take. longer time for me to read because of the longer chapters and smaller text. This book might be better for advanced middle schoolers some high schoolers.
"This is one of my least favorite questions. If someone approves of what you do, he will not ask you why you do it; no one says, 'Doctor, why do you want to cure cancer?'. With the question 'why' comes a subtle accusation that one is doing one thing wrong. 'Why' is not a simple question, and I couldn't produce a simple answer, only simple evasions. The best evasion ever uttered came from Georgia Leigh Mallory she he asked, 'Why do you want to climb Everest?' He answered, 'Because it's there" (McClure 10).
The question of "why?" has always caused people to think, cause people to become angry or has also caused people to rethink their decision. The truth behind the question "why?" is still a mystery as the narrator had said in the passage above. One may change your perspective on a silly topic or one may change your perspective on a major topic on which you had your mind set on one thing. That question can alter the truth behind stories or the truth about the topic.
I recommend this book to anyone who has time for reading. Although this book doesn't seem long, it does however take. longer time for me to read because of the longer chapters and smaller text. This book might be better for advanced middle schoolers some high schoolers.
June 2, 2011
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, gutty, gritty ability to deal with incredible adversity and pain, and her insightfulness into the human spirit and social constructs. The woman is not only a (crazy) athlete but also a lawyer, divinity school graduate, advocate for social justice, and all around impressive and fascinating woman. I want to meet her, though I think she'd terrify me in person.
In terms of the book's style, I enjoyed the way Murden McClure interlaces her trip on the boat with experiences from throughout her life that have shaped her.
In terms of the book's style, I enjoyed the way Murden McClure interlaces her trip on the boat with experiences from throughout her life that have shaped her.
May 8, 2025
“So here I am, on the ocean, at night, in the dark. Lucky me. Without darkness, one cannot see the stars.”
February 1, 2021
If Wonder Woman and MacGyver had a daughter and sent her to school to be taught by Aristotle, Shakespeare, and Professor Charles Xavier, the result would be almost as good as Tori Murden McClure. Having grown up in Louisville and remembering the newscasts of her journeys some two decades back, I was very happy to read about the "local girl's" tales of crossing the Atlantic using her wits, strength, and guts.
This tale resonated with me on many levels. Tori is a strong physical specimen, extraordinarily smart, unbelievably resourceful, gutsy, and somehow humble--"we don't conquer nature; it only allows us to pass."
The tedium of ten million strokes to cross the Atlantic should be a horribly boring story to convey. But Tori gives us enough of the mundane to give us a taste while highlighting the notable events--wildlife, equipment woes, storms, and memories. Her flashbacks integrated throughout the book gave us a much clearer picture of the lady in the boat and made me much more invested in her and her journey.
Many times, memoirs of great treks--hiking the Appalachian Trail, flying to the moon, climbing Mt. Everest--leave me empty and joyless. But even though I have no plans to make a crossing of the Atlantic in any type of boat--rowing, sail, or powered--I am very glad to have joined Tori Murden McClure on hers.
This tale resonated with me on many levels. Tori is a strong physical specimen, extraordinarily smart, unbelievably resourceful, gutsy, and somehow humble--"we don't conquer nature; it only allows us to pass."
The tedium of ten million strokes to cross the Atlantic should be a horribly boring story to convey. But Tori gives us enough of the mundane to give us a taste while highlighting the notable events--wildlife, equipment woes, storms, and memories. Her flashbacks integrated throughout the book gave us a much clearer picture of the lady in the boat and made me much more invested in her and her journey.
Many times, memoirs of great treks--hiking the Appalachian Trail, flying to the moon, climbing Mt. Everest--leave me empty and joyless. But even though I have no plans to make a crossing of the Atlantic in any type of boat--rowing, sail, or powered--I am very glad to have joined Tori Murden McClure on hers.
March 18, 2025
I was so impressed by Tori’s courage, strength and persistence. Reading this made me claustrophobic and anxious. So glad Tori finally called for help during her first attempt. The whole thing could have ended so differently, if she hadn’t called for help, her shoulder hadn’t been reduced or the storm had been different. After all that, I was suprised that she made another attempt. Not surprised that she was successful though. Really good adventure story
July 25, 2017
I really enjoyed her humorous and perspective dialogue throughout her journey across the ocean. I was fascinated enough about how she set up the boat and her daily routine, but when the action started I couldn't stop flipping the pages.
September 12, 2022
Story growing up in PA then KY was Interesting..very hard childhood...the pages were heavy .with detailed disasters going when the hurricane hit her crossing but fortunately they were rotated in with her back story of Smith College and Harvard for grad school.and I remember her doing this trip . She's currently president of Spu lding University so that's pretty cool
September 21, 2024
Wow. Hard to imagine the reality of her experience.
August 16, 2021
I generally don’t like memoirs, but this one with a solid Kentucky component is a wonder. She’s pretty arrogant at times, but I probably would be too if I rowed the Atlantic solo.
November 29, 2020
I enjoyed this book. Tori Murden McClure has had an interesting life and has looked at it with a lens I don't have---one of bravery, namely, as well as mastery. While I could read this novel as one I couldn't "relate" to, I found her very funny, which made it easier to understand where she was coming from. For a person like me who is not an athlete and hates sports, I appreciated her wit and intellectualism.
February 2, 2016
Reporter: "If you aren't going to get any money out of this, are you after fame?"Look up 'overachiever' in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of Tori Murden McClure. She graduated from Smith, missed out on the Olympic trials for rowing due to a car accident, went to Harvard for an MDiv, carried on the University of Louisville for a JD, was the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic (and to ski to the South Pole, come to that), got an MFA from Spalding University...and is now president of Spalding. The mind, it boggles.
Tori: "Can you name the first woman to climb Mount Everest?"
Reporter: [Silence]
Tori: "Her name was Junko Tabei. Can you name the first woman to ski to the North Pole?"
Reporter: [Silence]
Tori: "Her name was Ann Bancroft. Can you name the first woman to ski to the South Pole?"
Reporter: [Silence]
Tori: "A woman named Shirley Metz and I were the first women to ski to the geographical South Pole. We touched the pole at the same time so we could each claim to have been the first. Had you ever heard of either of us?"
Reporter: [A silent shrug]
Tori: "Men occasionally garner fame out of expeditions. Women do not. Men are sometimes rewarded for their rugged individualism. Women are not. When a woman is too robust or independent, she gets asked what her boyfriend thinks about it. No one genuinely cares what the boyfriend thinks; they just want to know whether or not she has a boyfriend."
Reporter: "Well, okay then."
Tori: "Okay then."
(27–28)
Most of the book is, of course, about that row across the ocean—or rather, about the first attempt, in which she rowed almost 3,400 miles before a storm did her adventure in. It's broken up with stories about what got her there: a childhood in which she learned to fight with her fists to keep her disabled brother safe (to the extent that she could) from bullies/abusers, and to fight with her brains to make the most of opportunities that were scarce in her childhood. A lot of luck, and a lot of hard work, and a lot of...how to put this? 'Screw the obstacles, let's make this happen.'
When choosing sides for a field hockey game, Kim O'Callaghan picked me first. I was aghast. "But, Kim, I don't know how to play field hockey."
"It doesn't matter," Kim responded, undeterred. Once the teams were complete, Kim gave us her plan for our offense. "Tori, I want you to run at the person who has the ball. Make as much noise as you possibly can. Be terrifying. I'll be right behind you, and I'll steal the ball." This offensive strategy worked like a charm. (104–105)
I loved the end result. Although I was more interested in the physical adventure part—the rowing—the background broke up what could have been a repetitive telling, and in any case, this is one instance in which the background really does inform who this writer is and what on earth made her row more than 3,000 miles...twice. (Much less space is spent on the second, successful trip, but it was indeed a success.) You have to be a certain kind of person (not to mention have a spine of steel) to succeed in that sort of endeavour.
Before the trip, I tested various food packages by running them through my washing machine. As I've said, freeze-dried food swims well; Hershey's chocolate does not. (12)
The one thing that really frustrated me: no photos of the cabin on her website! A minor point, to be sure, but if that's where you're going to rest and sleep and ride out storms, well, drat all, I want photos of the inside as well as the outside. But I suppose that's tangential to the book anyway.
December 15, 2020
Well-written account of rowing across the Atlantic alone. But the real story is how Tori Murden McClure was shaped by her relationship with her brother and the environments in which she was educated, as well as how being alone on the ocean, during vicious storms helped her discover what it means to be human and deal with helplessness. A quick read, highly recommended.
September 18, 2012
I was not at all looking forward to having to read this book for school. I put it off until the last minute because I dreaded reading it so much and I read the entire book in two days. To be honest, it could have been worse, but I still didn't like it. I appreciate that Tori Murden McClure made a big accomplishment by rowing across the ocean alone, but I had no interest in reading about it. After the first few chapters, I was only continuing to read it because I had to. Her time at sea was very repetitive and every day it seemed like she wrote about the same things happening. Also, I couldn't relate to her hardly at all, and that is something I look for in books that I read. I like to be able to relate to one or more of the characters. It was boring and didn't pull me in at all.
Tori Murden McClure called this book a romance. I would disagree completely with this statement. She talked a lot about her love of rowing and her love for the ocean, but that doesn't make this book a love story. There were parts when she talked about liking the guy, whatever his name was. But the book wasn't about him or their relationship, it was about her rowing. Romance is supposed to be spicy and interesting, and this book was neither of those. It was very bland. Not to mention that for the whole first half of the book she talked over and over about how she didn't need love or men and that she was better off on her own, which made her come off as man-hating and arrogant.
If this book wouldn't have been an assignment, I probably would have stopped reading by the fifth or sixth chapter. I would not recommend this book. I did not like it at all.
Tori Murden McClure called this book a romance. I would disagree completely with this statement. She talked a lot about her love of rowing and her love for the ocean, but that doesn't make this book a love story. There were parts when she talked about liking the guy, whatever his name was. But the book wasn't about him or their relationship, it was about her rowing. Romance is supposed to be spicy and interesting, and this book was neither of those. It was very bland. Not to mention that for the whole first half of the book she talked over and over about how she didn't need love or men and that she was better off on her own, which made her come off as man-hating and arrogant.
If this book wouldn't have been an assignment, I probably would have stopped reading by the fifth or sixth chapter. I would not recommend this book. I did not like it at all.
July 30, 2009
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 entire life, this was one more test of her will, courage, strength. But as she discovered, her venture would become a transformative journey of the soul. A woman who always took the hard way, she learned what it was to fail, to be truly alone, to be human. She discovered her true heart.
Blurbing the book, JIl Ker Conway writes, "Tori makes you believe that you are actually in the rowboat with her." Absolutely. You can taste the salt on her cracked lips, feel the burn of blisters and tired muscles, the fear when her boat is battered by a churning sea. A woman used to doing for herself, needing little, spurred on by the hurts of the past, Tori learns it's okay to desire, to need, to yearn, to love. Hers is the engrossing record of a remarkable achievement. I feel privileged to tag along on the ride. If only more people shared her determination and bravery—not only to test themselves but to reach those dark places of the soul and map them—this world would be a better place.
Blurbing the book, JIl Ker Conway writes, "Tori makes you believe that you are actually in the rowboat with her." Absolutely. You can taste the salt on her cracked lips, feel the burn of blisters and tired muscles, the fear when her boat is battered by a churning sea. A woman used to doing for herself, needing little, spurred on by the hurts of the past, Tori learns it's okay to desire, to need, to yearn, to love. Hers is the engrossing record of a remarkable achievement. I feel privileged to tag along on the ride. If only more people shared her determination and bravery—not only to test themselves but to reach those dark places of the soul and map them—this world would be a better place.
September 18, 2012
This book was bad. It was dry, long, uninteresting, and poorly written. It was dry because she spent way to much time just talking about her boat or other things that not the average reader would know or care about. If this book was meant for all the other rowers around then this would be understandable. But it wasn't. And just the style in which she wrote the books as boring, I found it hard to stay with her. It was also a very long book. She took almost 300 pages to simply say that she rowed across the ocean once, failed, went into depression, tried again, and succeeded. And then some random info about her past and accomplishments. It was poorly written because her ethos was awful. She came off as stubborn, self-indulgent, and from a mans point of view, sexist. She was very stubborn about a lot of what she did, and she almost seemed proud of that, which really bothered me. And she was extremely self-indulgent about her college accomplishments, and about how she was the strongest, biggest, and smartest. And then sexist because she said multiple times throughout the book that she didn't need men. I think that if she would take away a lot of her ethos and come off so that more of her readers could relate to her then I think the book would have been better. It is an incredible story, with that I cannot argue, but the way in which she decided to tell the world about it was poorly done.
March 3, 2014
Every now and then I come across a book that has the power to hit me between the eyes and make me think thoughts that are deep and difficult and a little life altering. I found that in this book; which came at a perfect moment and connected to me in a way I didn't even know I was hungry for.
I can't explain most of my personal reasons for connecting to this story so well without giving away a large part of the story but in summary I can say this - sometimes life success is defined by our attitude and the attempts we're willing to make rather than the outcomes.
This book pulled me in immediately and held my interest throughout the story. I definitely could find bits of myself in Toni McClure, therefore, just as one can find comfort in familiar things, I found comfort in a story that was fraught with less than comfortable activities.
If you enjoyed Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, A Charmed Life: Growing Up in Macbeth's Castle, or The Lobster Chronicles I know you would really like this book as well.
I can't explain most of my personal reasons for connecting to this story so well without giving away a large part of the story but in summary I can say this - sometimes life success is defined by our attitude and the attempts we're willing to make rather than the outcomes.
This book pulled me in immediately and held my interest throughout the story. I definitely could find bits of myself in Toni McClure, therefore, just as one can find comfort in familiar things, I found comfort in a story that was fraught with less than comfortable activities.
If you enjoyed Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, A Charmed Life: Growing Up in Macbeth's Castle, or The Lobster Chronicles I know you would really like this book as well.
November 29, 2015
A wonderful woman vs nature story - Tori Murden McClure is a classic overachiever. She was the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic, the first woman to ski to the South Pole, and a graduate of Smith, Harvard Divinity, and U of L Law school. Her story is amazing. The narrative is mostly about her first (failed) attempt to solo row the Atlantic (interrupted by one hurricane that hit her twice and finally brought to a halt by a second hurricane), interspersed with her autobiography. It is a remarkable tale of an astoundingly accomplished woman.
Quotes to remember:
Why am I supposed to be afraid of the dark? People die from hunger, from cold, from injury and illness, but what peril is there in the sun going down? It is an interior darkness, the darkness of mind, that is deadly, not the dark of night.
Without darkness, one cannot see the stars.
There in the cathedral of those mountains I felt a sense of peace, whole and complete.
The summit is sweeter when no one is left behind.
...you cannot conquer nature; it merely allows you to pass.
Where men tend to be defined by their actions, women tend to be defined by their relationships.
Quotes to remember:
Why am I supposed to be afraid of the dark? People die from hunger, from cold, from injury and illness, but what peril is there in the sun going down? It is an interior darkness, the darkness of mind, that is deadly, not the dark of night.
Without darkness, one cannot see the stars.
There in the cathedral of those mountains I felt a sense of peace, whole and complete.
The summit is sweeter when no one is left behind.
...you cannot conquer nature; it merely allows you to pass.
Where men tend to be defined by their actions, women tend to be defined by their relationships.
September 18, 2012
I read this book for a summer reading for school, so from the beginning I wasn't too thrilled to start the reading.The beginning of this book completely drew me away from being "excited" to read it at all. I didn't think there would be anything in this book that could be interesting after i read that first chapter. And it gave me the exact feel i was expecting, since it was a summer assignment. But surprisingly as I continually read, it got to be a little inspirational and more inviting. She added her childhood life experiences in every now and then through out her actual journey, which started to became the only part of the chapters i looked forward to reading. I'm not an adventure person in any way, so this book didn't reach out to me or catch my interest as much as it may have to someone who likes the thrill of "whats actually going to happen at the end, is she going to fail, or will she be successful?" I can guarantee that this book could actually relate to someone who may be worried of failure and wants to be successful, but that isn't what relates to me at this time. It's an awesome book to read if you enjoy reading about other peoples' success.
September 14, 2013
I read A Pearl in the Storm in a fast gulp. I could not go to sleep that night until Tori called for help in the hurricane and was pulled aboard the rescue ship. I love true adventure stories where exteame hardships are overcome and the protagonist is changed in unexpected ways. Pearl is extraordinary in that there are few women in this genre.
I’m, also, a woman who loves a man who loves boats, wooden boats in particular. Thus I appreciated the setting details of building and outfitting of The American Pearl. The maps on the front plate and the sketch of the boat help the reader feel the enormity of the undertaking. The date and the latitude and longitude in the Chapter Headings keep the reader informed as to the distance gained or… lost.
The story of the big row is braided around her memoir, her life as an outsider and protector of her special needs brother make this ann extraordinary book. Iplan to nominae this for our community read.
I’m, also, a woman who loves a man who loves boats, wooden boats in particular. Thus I appreciated the setting details of building and outfitting of The American Pearl. The maps on the front plate and the sketch of the boat help the reader feel the enormity of the undertaking. The date and the latitude and longitude in the Chapter Headings keep the reader informed as to the distance gained or… lost.
The story of the big row is braided around her memoir, her life as an outsider and protector of her special needs brother make this ann extraordinary book. Iplan to nominae this for our community read.
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