TEN DEGREES OF RECKONING by Hester Rumberg
Publisher Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, February 2009
In 1993, Judith and Michael Sleavin and their two children set out to
live their dream: to sail around the world. But one night, a freighter off
the coast of New Zealand altered its course by a mere ten degrees. And
changed everything.
After surviving forty-four hours in the water, with a back broken in several
places and paralyzed below the waist, Judith miraculously survived. Doctors
would later say she suffered one of the worst cases of post-traumatic stress
disorder ever documented. News of the collision made headlines around the
world, but, distraught, Judith never talked to the press. Her body was
broken, and so was her soul.
Twelve years later, Judith turned to her best friend, Hester Rumberg, and
asked her to write what was too painful for her to write. The result is a
gripping, unbelievable yet true story of one family’s love, of profound
loss, and of a remarkable woman who decided to live when others might have
decided otherwise. But always it is a stunning account of survival, a
meditation on the strength of friendship and community. It is a universal
tale of how any of our lives might be unexpectedly altered, how we might
have to change what we hope for, and how we can move forward in times of
tragedy.
Judith Sleavin now divides her time between Portland, Oregon, and New
Zealand. 
“TEN DEGREES OF RECKONING is a rare book. It both celebrates the love and
spirit of adventure of the Sleavin family and tells in harrowing and
gut-wrenching detail about the tragedy that claims the lives of three out of
four of its members. To people who say: I can't read such a sad story, I say
only, you must. You must learn about and celebrate Annie and Ben and Mike so
that they may be remembered. You must marvel at Judy's bravery, her
resilience, her will. You must repeat their story to others so that what
befell them doesn't happen again. Read TEN DEGREES OF RECKONING. You must.
-- Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle and Comfort: A
Journey Through Grief
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