Grayson

Recently I read a short, sweet book called Grayson. It's a fascinating memoir. The author, Lynne Cox wrote about her experience when she was swimming in the ocean at seventeen years old. She was out on a typical morning training for a big swim (she had already swum the English Channel twice, and the Catalina Channel). She felt something huge underneath her and realized after a mile or so that it was a baby gray whale. Lynne concluded that he was lost and, needing milk and guidance, would die without his mother. She describes her journey to help the baby find his mother. Her descriptions of the ocean are incredibly vivid and made me feel like I was swimming in the ocean as I read. Throughout the story as she swims for many miles, she describes her bond that forms with the baby whale, whom she names Grayson. The playful baby follows her everywhere and even allows her to touch him. This book was an easy, short book but it melted my heart and was hard to believe that it was true. It's a great book for animal lovers and for swimmers. There are really creative descriptions and many similes that helped me think about how I could become a better writer. I would recommend it.