Row for Freedom: Crossing an Ocean in Search of Hope

“When you’re in the middle of the adventure, you just have to live it. When you’re on an expedition, you put your head down and battle through. Storytelling happens after the finish line. . . . now that time has come [and] Julia can tell her story. The full story.”

—from the foreword by Bear Grylls

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An incredible account of one woman’s record-breaking row across the Atlantic

Thirty-two-year-old Julia Immonen and four other women take on a challenge completed by fewer people than have climbed Mount Everest or gone into space: row three thousand miles, unaided, from the Canary Islands to Barbados.

Row for Freedom chronicles that dramatic journey, detailing the grueling, peril-filled crossing, which broke two world records, as it weaves together Julia’s search for hope and purpose against a background of relationships scarred by violence.

As Julia’s physical and emotional treks unfold, you also learn about the plight of the thirty million victims of the modern-day slave trade that serves as the motivation for her row. Be inspired by Julia’s self-discovery and her team’s triumph in one of the most formidable physical quests ever undertaken.

Craig Borlase is a New York Times bestselling writer, specializing in crafting dramatic, engaging memoirs. Recent work includes Finding Gobi — the international and New York Times bestselling account of an ultra-marathon runner's chance encounter with a stray dog in the Mongolian desert, now translated into twenty-one languages — and My Name Is Tani — the story of an eight year old chess prodigy living in a homeless shelter in NYC. Films of both books are currently in development, with Tani… acquired by Paramount Pictures/Trevor Noah and Gobi… acquired by Sony/Tencent. Craig has collaborated with a wide range of authors on more than fifty books, from a global entertainment icon to a former Muslim woman who was one week away from becoming a suicide bomber. Previous work has taken him to Iraq, Jordan, China, Haiti, India, Sweden, Cuba, Uganda, Australia and all over the United States. Website: https://www.craigborlase.com/

Bear Grylls is the author of several books that have sold more than 11 million copies worldwide,   including the bestselling Mud, Sweat, and Tears. He starred in National Geographic’s television series Man vs. Wild for seven seasons and currently works on his NBC series, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, where he takes celebrities such as Julianne Hough, Marshawn Lynch, Shaquille O’Neal, and Don Cheadle   out into the wilderness. Bear is an adventurer known for many exploits, including crossing the North Atlantic Arctic Ocean in a rubber boat, climbing Mount Everest, and running through a forest fire. He is also a dedicated family man to his wife and three sons.