You're young, living comfortably in southern California. You're financially secure, though you don't know why or how. Your husband simply ignores you when you ask too many questions. He's hoping for another job overseas, doing something. You're not sure what, but you suspect it's not what he says.

Your marriage is shaky. You survived a war in Cyprus together, and lost everything. Now you're basically biding time.

A letter arrives from friends you knew in Cyprus. They're sailing a new yacht from Taiwan to Europe for a Swedish millionaire. You're invited to join them in Sri Lanka, as crew. Neither of you knows boats, but you'll learn -- it will be the trip of a lifetime, cruising the Indian Ocean in a pleasure yacht!

And, it turns out, in monsoon season. With no charts. And an emotionally unstable crew mate. What could possibly go wrong?

SPOILER: everything.



Five stars
Good Morning Diego Garcia: A Journey of Discovery by Susan Joyce is Book 2 in a series of travel memoirs that chronicle her adventure from the US to Sri Lanka, to Bombay, and across the eternity of the ocean, an adventure that curiously led her deeper into the depths of herself. In one of those doodles she makes in the still, quiet hours of the day, she reveals her deepest thoughts and new vistas into her questing soul. Here is one that captures the pulse of her heart, and perhaps, the reason for this book: "Collect information! Embrace Unknown! Embrace Uncertainty!"

Susan Joyce comes across as a skillful storyteller. Her memoir goes beyond the retelling of a personal story to becoming one of the beautiful social commentaries of her time. Written with simplicity, this book is about courage. The tone can be serious, and at times humorous, but readers will love this book for the author's candor and honesty, and in the way she opens her heart to readers, revealing a very rich humanity. The dialogue, at every instant, feels honest and natural; the characters are as real and convincing as any non-fictional characters could be.

The lessons from these personal travel stories are universal. It's interesting to see how the author's courage guides her in making choices that reveal her to herself and how embracing the unknown can be the surest path towards growth and self-discovery. This is one of the travel books that I'll highly recommend to readers. I loved the book. I smiled, laughed, and felt knots in my tummy at times. It's very entertaining and educative.

- Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite