A pearl in the storm : how I found my heart in the middle of the ocean / by Tori Murden McClure.

The quest begins -- Women and stomachs first -- A shark and an explosion -- Baptism by storm -- Death on deck -- Independence day -- Sea lions in the middle of the north Atlantic -- Three strokes forward, two strokes back -- Storm petrels -- Theodore Roosevelt's burial at sea -- Where's the rest of it, and what ate it? -- Bad breath -- The weather is weird -- Hurricane Danielle -- I'm alive! -- Losing consciousness -- Independent spirits -- Pain settles in -- Philadelphia -- The tragedy of "Civilus" -- A comedic flirtation -- The history of Muhammad Ali -- Returning to slay the dragon -- The romance of being merely human.

During June 1998, Tori McClure set out to row across the Atlantic Ocean by herself in a 23-foot plywood boat with no motor or sail. She lost communications, but nevertheless decided to keep going, without updates on the location of the Gulf Stream and the weather--in what became the North Atlantic's worst hurricane season. When a series of violent storms 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. At the age of 35, she embarked on a serious relationship for the first time, making her feel even more vulnerable than sitting alone in the middle of the Atlantic. But she knew she did not want to be known as the woman who "almost" rowed across the Atlantic Ocean ... --From publisher description.