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Sign up todayBlack Wave
A Family’s Adventure at Sea and the Disaster That Saved Them
Length
7 hours 29 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Carrington MacDuffie & Joe Barrett
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreWhen John and Jean Silverwood, both experienced sailors, decided to give their four children a taste of life on the high seas, they hoped the trip would offer important learning experiences, not only about the natural world but about the beauty of human life stripped down to its essence, far from civilization. But the adventure that awaited them would surpass anything they could have imagined. Aboard their fifty-five-foot catamaran, the Silverwood family found its bonds tested as never before as they struggled with family and marriage dynamics in compressed quarters alongside the terrifying forces of nature. In the crucible of the sea, a stronger, tighter unit was forged. Then, just when it seemed that they had mastered every challenge, their world was shattered in a split second of sheer horror. Now the real test began, forcing them to fight for their very lives.
John Silverwood lives in California with his wife, Jean, and their four children.
Jean Silverwood lives in California with her husband, John, and their four children.
Carrington MacDuffie is a voice actor and recording artist who has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has been a frequent finalist for the Audie Award, including for her original audiobook, Many Things Invisible. Alongside her narration work, she has released a new album of original songs, Only an Angel.
Joe Barrett, an actor and Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared both on and off Broadway as well as in hundreds of radio and television commercials.
Reviews
“The jaw-dropping true tale of the Silverwood family and their awe-inspiring survival when faced with the most harrowing of events on the high seas is a truly remarkable account. Carrington Macduffie and Joe Barrett bring this story to life, capturing the tense journey down to the slightest detail in these realistic readings…both performances are earnest and raw, allowing the listeners to ebb and flow with the story as if they were tucked away on the Silverwood’s fifty-foot catamaran.”
“Carrington MacDuffie expresses Jean’s excitement at global scenic spots, her pride in son Ben’s growing maturity, and her disappointment at her husband’s slips from sobriety. Joe Barrett, as John, picks up the story with the aftermath of the crash…Both narrators deliver foreign accents well, and their dual reading makes this loosely organized adventure tale special.”
“MacDuffie narrates Jean’s story, the loving wife, frustrated spouse, kind and often bemused mother, and always a strong woman trying to protect and love her family even in the most desperate straits. Barrett’s gruff voice is perfect for the rugged, handsome John who can burst into pirate lingo at one moment and describe his near death experience and his acknowledgement of dependence on his family at another. Together their narration creates a story that everyone in the family can relate to.”
“Wisely, [the Silverwoods] focus not only on the natural wonders experienced on their marathon journey, but on the small everyday matters: meal preparations, the kids’ home schooling at sea, mechanical problems with the boat. These close-up, authentic details enrich a story that works on many levels—as intimate family portrait, colorful travelogue, and high-seas drama.”
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