The Desert and the Sea

The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast by Michael Scott Moore
2018
Weight: 1.5 lbs
Method of Disposal: Returned to Owner

This book was lent to me by a coworker after we went to a Leadercast women’s conference and saw a woman who talked about what it was like to be a reporter that was held captive in North Korea. This book has no relation to the book by that woman, but there are obvious similarities. The coworker had this one laying around and suggested I read it.

I was scared to read it for awhile because she kept it in immaculate condition, and I just knew I would drop it in a puddle of mud or something else equally stupid. One day, I finally realized that never reading and returning the book was likely worse than smudging it so I finally picked it up. 

There was a lot that I did not expect in this book. The author struggles to let go of the idea that he is an American and will be saved and, ultimately, he is right. It takes a long time, but he is rescued. He believes he has a right to many comforts and will demand them, despite how dangerous that must have been.  I was really shocked by how inexperienced and incompetent the pirates seemed to be and equally intrigued by how many of them seemed to be legitimately caring and empathetic to Michael while also being his captors and thus his tormentors. There seemed to be a definite desire to avoid killing Michael. Given, if they killed him then they would stand to get absolutely no money for him. 

Then, spoiler alert, I was absolutely not expecting him to throw himself over a fishing ship into the ocean, not die, and to be willingly pulled back into the boat after not being rescued. This whole book is a lesson in no one knows what they will do in that situation until they live through it. Michael was willing to share his experience of being held captive for almost three years. That’s a long damn time. I appreciate you writing this book, Michael, despite how painful your experience was.