Wavewalker: A Memoir of Breaking Free

Written by Suzanne Heywood

Narrated by Suzanne Heywood

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

A TIMES BEST MEMOIR OF 2023

‘Grippingly vivid and pacey’ THE TIMES

‘A seven-year old girl on a seventy-foot yacht, for ten years, over fifty thousand miles of sailing’ SIMON WINCHESTER

‘A seven-year old girl on a seventy-foot yacht, for ten years, over fifty thousand miles of sailing … a fantastic story of a truly Odyssean journey across all the world’s great oceans – but is also the inspiring story of the developing of a restless and inquiring mind’ SIMON WINCHESTER

'An astonishing almost day-by-day account of [a] hazardous journey and its legacy’ TELEGRAPH

‘This is a story of an epic childhood journey, so exciting and so shocking it is hard to know whether you’re reading about a dream or a nightmare… Wavewalker is thrilling, horrifying, beautifully written – I couldn’t put it down’ ED BALLS

Aged just seven, Suzanne Heywood set sail with her parents and brother on a three-year voyage around the world. What followed turned instead into a decade-long way of life, through storms, shipwrecks, reefs and isolation, with little formal schooling. No one else knew where they were most of the time and no state showed any interest in what was happening to the children.

Suzanne fought her parents, longing to return to England and to education and stability. This memoir covers her astonishing upbringing, a survival story of a child deprived of safety, friendships, schooling and occasionally drinking water… At seventeen Suzanne earned an interview at Oxford University and returned to the UK.

From the bestselling author of What Does Jeremy Think?, Wavewalker is the incredible true story of how the adventure of a lifetime became one child’s worst nightmare – and how her determination to educate herself enabled her to escape

‘A classic memoir of childhood. This is a book that every parent should read to consider the consequences of their midlife crises, and every child should read to learn how to deal with impossible mums and dads, as well as boils and barnacles’ Mail on Sunday 5*

‘An electrifying story about an extraordinary childhood, and Heywood tells it with remarkable clarity and assurance . . . an engrossing book that pitches the reader into the highs and lows of a young life spent in the “Wavewalker School of the Sea”’TLS

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Oct 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9780008648404

Reviews for Wavewalker

[J Michelle Plaveczky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely amazing story told in great detail by the author herself. It’s unbelievable what she went through as a child- extraordinary adventure. I kept checking google Earth to see the places she talked about. I couldn’t wait to hear what happened next- and At the same time I was so angry at her parents and so sad for her. They say rough seas make a good sailor- and that’s so true in this book both literally and metaphorically. I definitely recommend this book and I loved that she read the book herself.

[LynneGauthier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best autobiographies tend to come from people with emotionally infantile and self absorbed parents. What an amazing woman.

[Eve · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“He looked at me, and in his eyes I recognized something that I knew all too well: the fear of being trapped inside someone else’s dream.”

Memoirs like this make me feel seen, like there are more of us out there than I realized. The “us” are children of parents who are so focused on themselves and their dreams that they forget that the decisions they make directly impact the little people they brought into the world.

I understand why it took Heywood so long to write her truth. In doing so, one has to look at one’s past head on and call it what it really was. Only then can one be truly rid of it, or at least be able to move on without too much bitterness.

She’s a beautiful writer, and I applaud her for overcoming so many obstacles just to reach adulthood—fighting so hard for safety and love, things that should naturally come from our parents.

[katyefk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could barely stop reading this book after it got it. I only stopped for meals and some sleep and finished it over 3 days. What an amazing, true story. I knew how it turned out but I kept reading to find out how she got to where she is today. She is an amazing writer and story teller. To comprehend that she spent 10 years of her life, (from age 7 to 17) on this ship is such miserable circumstances with no emotional support from anyone, including her parents is shocking.
I have nothing but compassion for her and admiration for what she has achieved in spite of it all.