Linda Greenlaw book signing

Additional Information

Famed swordfisherman and bestselling author Linda Greenlaw survived the perfect storm and lived to tell the tale, but when faced with the prospect of raising a deeply troubled teenager at the age of 40 plus, Greenlaw finds herself in more turbulent waters than she could have ever imagined. Greenlaw will read from and sign her latest book LIFESAVING LESSONS: Notes from an Accidental Mother.

LIFESAVING LESSONS: Notes from an Accidental Mother (Viking; On Sale: March 25th, 2012; ISBN: 978-0-670-02517-6; $26.95) recounts the trials and tribulations that Greenlaw experiences after taking in Mariah, a teenage girl in desperate need of a guardian she can trust. When Mariah flees her uncle’s house and eventually ends up with Linda, it becomes apparent that her uncle is a sexual and emotional predator who has been taking advantage of Mariah for many years. Used to her previous solitude and independence, Linda isn’t exactly the picture of maternal warmth, and she frequently finds herself at a loss when trying to play the role of parent and mother—a role she never imagined or planned on playing.

In turns both humorous and devastating, Linda candidly writes about the frustrations and doubts that any parent experiences when grappling with a temperamental teenager—whose texting habits sometimes cause the phone bill to skyrocket over $500 a month—let alone one who has experienced as much horror as Mariah. Greenlaw recounts the feelings of pride and love that develop as she and Mariah slowly but surely begin to trust one another and see eye to eye. Over the course of this memoir, we watch as Linda battles the gale-force winds of teenaged angst, the tremendously complex legal system, and her own concerns about her ability as a mother. Both Linda and Mariah, it seems, must overcome their own stubborn independence in order to forge the unlikely family that they both so desperately need.

About the Author:
Linda Greenlaw lives on Isle au Haut, Maine. She is America’s only female swordfish boat captain and was featured in the book and film The Perfect Storm as well as in the Discovery Channel’s Swords: Life on the Line. Greenlaw is the author of three New York Times bestselling nonfiction books along with two mysteries and a cookbook. She is currently consulting on a fisheries development program in Kenya, where she is helping to design boats and train Kenyans on how to use modern gear and sustainable methods.