John Otterbacher’s new memoir Sailing Grace is more than the story of one man’s struggle with heart disease. It is the story of hope, courage and a sailing family’s commitment to each other in the face of grave illness.
The book begins with John flat on his back and gasping for air in a local health club and takes us along as he faces hospitals, doctors and his own mortality. All along he is determined to not merely survive but to continue to plan for the future and live his sailing dreams. The book ends 31 months and 4,000 miles later when he, his wife and their two youngest children arrive safely in Schull Harbor, Ireland.
John’s intensely personal story makes for a sobering book and one that will strike a chord with all readers, regardless of their physical condition or limitations. Most of all Sailing Grace can help us all look toward the future just when the skies appear to be the darkest.
John Snyder