Nyad recounts her inspiring life story. Known for swimming around Manhattan at the age of 26 in 1973, she then attempted to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. She failed in her first attempt, and went on to a career of broadcast journalism. But the dream of the Cuba to Florida swim kept nagging at her, and, after several more failed attempts, she completed the 111-mile swim in about 54 hours in 2013, at the age of 64 (and after taking about 30 years off from swimming). Nyad not only recounts the planning and training that went into these endurance swims, but her early years and some of the things that went into forming her strength of will and determination--sexual abuse by her swim coach, a con man father, and endless curiosity about the natural world. She also gives great appreciation to the large groups of people who helped make her swims possible, acknowledging that, while she was the one in the water, it was a team effort all the way. For anyone who enjoys memoirs, stories of athletic triumph, or who needs reminding that dreams still can come true when you're in your 60s.
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