The Half Bird

Absorbing, moving, impressive * Guardian *A beautiful, wise and open-hearted odyssey through life, loves and the sea. Susan lives many of our dreams, showing how we need nature, solitude and community – and less stuff! – to flourish and find freedom * Patrick Barkham, author of The Butterfly Isles *Susan Smillie’s story is told with all the invigorating energy of a crisp wind under a cloudless sky. The way she renders the world as seen from the prow of her beloved Isean is utterly beguiling. The Half Bird is a wonderful book – and one that shows vividly and fearlessly that there are many ways for an adventurous woman to live * Charlotte Higgins, Chief culture writer, The Guardian *A lesson on how to live, how to heal, how to grow and how to fly * Gordan Buchanan, wildlife filmmaker *This book is for all nature lovers, freedom lovers and anyone who dreams of escaping the daily grind. Without a big budget or much experience, Susan makes her dream happen and takes to a life at sea. We travel with her through her solo journey, experiencing the highs and lows, the fear and loneliness as well as the joy and elation of being truly free. I would recommend it to anyone, sailor or not, who wants a life-affirming, moving and compelling read * Guy Grieve, author of Sea Legs: One Family’s Adventure on the Ocean *There is a rare subtlety in so much of this. Smillie finds a freedom, beauty, and joy in amongst the rolling waves and shifting tides of loss, illness, and grief. The Half Bird is an immensely enjoyable ocean adventure, but what emerges is a deeply inspiring story about the quiet strengths that reside within us all * Will Millard, author and BBC presenter *I didn’t know a love song between a woman and her boat could transport, and transfix me. The Half Bird made my heart whole * Rhik Samadder, author of I Never Said I Loved You *

Susan Smillie is a former Guardian journalist, and wrote mainly on travel, food and the arts. She is the author of one previous book, The Last Sea Nomads, published by Guardian Shorts. She is based between Scotland, with her family, and Greece, where her boat, Isean, is currently moored.