August 10, 2015
At 64, celebrated long-distance swimmer Nyad accomplished a feat that had eluded her at 28—making the first solo swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. While Cuba to the Keys is 94 miles for the proverbial crow, Nyad lacked wings and ultimately covered 110 miles through the powerful Gulf current, navigating hazards that included toxic jellyfish and peckish sharks, as well as severe nausea and dehydration. As Nyad narrates the financial and physical demands of her odyssey, which she undertook after a three-decade break from swimming, she also reviews her career as a television journalist and talk show host. Nyad sees her competitive drive as fueled by enduring anger over her sexual abuse as a child, and the ocean ultimately provides her with a means of transcendence. The strength of Nyad’s memoir is her recounting of the journey: gym training and the rhythms of swimming, songs that help her time strokes, analysis of weather and water, sketches of her team members, and the delicate shuffle between two countries still fighting the Cold War. Nyad has a vibrant, informal voice and her anecdotes are intrinsically interesting. However, she rushes through events unrelated to her quest, while issues like her history of abuse and failed romances feel underexplored given her statements on how much they’ve influenced her life and work.
September 15, 2015
In 2013, open-water marathon swimmer Nyad (b. 1949) made history by swimming from Cuba to Key West, FL, without the assistance of a shark cage after a number of frustrating, failed attempts. In this comprehensive autobiography, Nyad (Boss of Me) offers a fascinating glimpse into her life as a talented and fiercely determined athlete. Using frank and clear prose, Nyad unflinchingly details the childhood sexual abuse she was resolved to move beyond, as well as her difficult relationship with a con-man father, her ongoing journey of personal growth, and audacious swimming feats. This inspiring tale of overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles to achieve a lifelong dream provides a gripping example of the strength of the human spirit regardless of age. VERDICT Particularly effective in its ability to portray the complex psychology of an extreme endurance athlete, Nyad's moving account is well suited for readers interested in open-water swimming, endurance sports, athletes' memoirs, or age-defying adventures. [See Prepub Alert, 4/6/15.]--Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from September 1, 2015
While Nyad has been a household name since 1975, when, at the age of 26, the swimmer famously circled the island of Manhattan (breaking the record by nearly an hour), and while the world was captivated by her successful completionon her fifth attemptof the nearly impossible, first-ever Cuba-to-Florida swim in 2013, at age 64, in just under 53 hours, casual observers might not fully comprehend the astonishing athleticism, force of will, and attention to detail she brought to bear until they finish this remarkable account. Not only did the Cuba-to-Florida swim require a staggering training regimen, along with the careful marshaling of dozens of team membersfrom medical specialists to navigators to nutritionistsit also required overcoming, from her telling, a harrowing childhood of family dysfunction and physical and sexual abuse. And while Nyad fiercely owns this storyno as told to coauthor hereshe also envelops those friends, family, and colleagues who helped her along the way, and any readers who would take heart from it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)