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438 Days (continued)

Chapter 13:  Rooster
Alveranga finally drifts to land in the Marshall Islands.  He shows incredible patience, staying with his boat until he is nearly ashore. He is fearful he will be eaten by cannibals.  He thinks that he will need to get a job to earn money to get back home. Rain.  Exhaustion.
Chapter 14:  Who is this wild man
Discovered by Emi and Russel Laikidrik. Russel is wary, but Emi senses A. needs help.
Food.  Alveranga eats everything he can.  Pancake dish. Shown himself in a mirror, Alveranga throws it down in disgust and breaks it--only tension between the Laikidriks and Alveranga. Police come to take him to a larger island for questioning and care.  Alveranga fears he's being arrested. He's terrified of getting back in a boat. He feels the boat trip is 24 hours; it is actually 15 minutes.  Agoraphobic.  Language difficulties.
Chapter 15:  Found but lost  & Chapter 16: Cockroaches
Confusion, lots of questions, trouble answering, identification questions.  Is he a fake?  Twitter fame. Reporters all over him.  (cockroaches)  He avoids camera, lending to his credibility.  Confirmation
Chapter 17:  Back in San Salvador  Chapter 18  Call of the Seat
Reunited with daughter.  Talks to Cordoba's mother. Cordoba's brothers not convinced he couldn't have done more for their brother.  Hint they think he might be cannibal. Anger/reconciliation with fishing friends (why didn't you rescue me?)

Overall:  Incredible story, extremely well-written.  No sensationalism at all; Alveranga's story seems all the more sensational because of Jonathan Franklin's straightforward prose.  Alfred Lansing's Endurance remains my favorite survival novel, but this is in the top five.  I will read 33 Men (also by Franklin) soon.

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