Grayson: My Favorite Memoir for October

There’s a saying that “the right book finds you when you need it most.” This month, it happened that way for me. The book, Grayson by Lynne Cox, arrived via my daughter-in-law who was given it by her sister, who just finished reading my novel, Mummy’s Locket. Her note said she sent me this as a little something inspired by my book.

At first glance, I thought my mystery and this memoir had nothing in common except the name Grayson. In the memoir, it’s the name the author gives the baby gray whale she is trying to save, and in my book it’s the last name of the protagonist, Mallory Grayson, who is trying to save her family name after discovering troubling secrets. However, as this memoir unfolds, it’s also about determination, persistence, connection, and belief.

There’s a lot to celebrate and learn from this small, fast-read story about the encounter between a teenage swimmer and a lost baby whale, including a greater oceanic understanding. But beyond all that, which I greatly enjoyed, it quickly pulled me into this almost unbelievable real-life experience that brought me much needed optimism and calmness and hope.

Grayson is a very quick read with a fascinating and touching story that was impossible for me to put down. It was just the book I needed to counter the growing stress of deadlines this month plus self-inflicted challenges, upcoming travels, and a long to-do list.  It’s a book I would recommend to anyone, and in fact, I’m passing it to my husband to read next.