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**WINNER OF THE NERO BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION AWARD 2024**

An extraordinary true story of shipwreck, survival and love

‘An absolute jewel of a book’ India Knight
‘A gripping tale of adventure’ Elizabeth Day
‘An extraordinary survival story’ Sunday Times

Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maurice and Maralyn plan their escape: sell the house, build a boat, set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway around the world, their beloved boat is struck by a whale and the pair are cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Alone on a tiny raft, their love is put to the test. This is a book about human connection and the human condition; about how we survive – not just at sea, but in life.

‘This skilful storytelling drew me in…very touching indeed’ James Rebanks
‘With the adrenaline kick of Jaws . . . A remarkable portrait of a marriage kept afloat against the odds’ Financial Times
‘This dramatic, profound human story is so beautifully told. I really could not put it down’ Nina Stibbe

A Guardian, Observer & Waterstones Non-fiction Book of the Year

**READERS ADORE MAURICE & MARALYN**
‘A riveting tale of survival . . . and of the power of love when all appears lost’
‘A mind-blowing story of resilience and love in the face of adversity’
‘The very best kind of true story, and beautifully written’
‘I couldn’t put this book down’
‘I was absolutely hooked from the outset’

Publisher Review

Electrifying . . . a tender portrait of two unconventional souls blithely defying the conventions of their era and making a break for freedom — Fiona Sturges * Guardian * Extraordinary . . . Elmhirst is a terrific writer — ELIZABETH DAY An extraordinary survival story… Elmhirst’s reconstruction of their ordeal is riveting, told in illuminating detail * Sunday Times * Maurice and Maralyn somehow contrives to be both gripping and elegiac. Sophie Elmhirst’s graceful, confident prose is novelistic in its pleasures and profoundly moving in its impact — KALIANE BRADLEY, author of The Ministry of Time A compelling book about a shipwreck, but also as thoughtful a tale about marriage, for better and worse, as you are likely to read * Observer * Thought-provoking…compelling…tender… An ideal gift for a friend or family who likes incredible true stories of survival. But it’s also a book about love and hubris. And in that sense, it’s a book for us all. — PANDORA SYKES An amazing tale of survival . . . reminds me how incredibly hard it is to find love out there in the world — Tracey Thorn * New Statesman * This dramatic, profound human story is so beautifully told in calm, thoughtful, perfectly judged prose. I really could not put it down — NINA STIBBE, author of Love, Nina A gripping tale of maritime catastrophe but also of marriage — India Knight * Sunday Times * A gripping story of survival at sea and a haunting account of the yearning to escape . . . It hasn’t left my mind since I finished it — OLIVER BURKEMAN