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When the Seattle Express goes adrift...
The Seattle Express, a 700-foot container ship bound for Seattle, is on fire in the Gulf of Alaska.

Three hundred miles away, on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Larry and Louise fire up their old tug, Warhorse, and head into the open ocean to salvage the burning vessel. The money from a salvage claim might just save their business. But it's a race against time, the elements, and the secretive, powerful Buckhorn corporation, owner of the Seattle Express, who launches its own high-speed tugs hot on Warhorse's tail.

Onboard the crippled ship, William (whom readers of Strong Heart will remember), fears this disaster may become a dark homecoming for him on the jagged shores of Haida Gwaii, the remote islands off British Columbia, where William was born and where he now may meet his fate. After William's lifeboat goes missing for days, William's daughter, Myra, and friends Sarah, Tom, and Sergei form a desperate plan.

Strong Heart took readers deep into the storied wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. In Adrift, Sheldon, a veteran of the sea himself, carries the story into a beautiful, brutal frontier of ice, wind, slicing cold, roiling waves, and ancient, mystic faith.

332 pages, Paperback

Published September 21, 2018

89 people are currently reading
51 people want to read

About the author

Charlie Sheldon

8 books30 followers
Lives in the Pacific Northwest. Ancient, nearly. Survived as a commercial fisherman, consultant, fisherman again, port planner, port construction manager, executive, port director, then ordinary seaman, able bodied seaman, boatswain's mate...Kids grown. When home he cooks for his wife, hikes in the Olympic mountains in Washington State, and continues to write tales....

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5 stars
47 (38%)
4 stars
51 (41%)
3 stars
15 (12%)
2 stars
6 (4%)
1 star
4 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Nila Eslit.
127 reviews5 followers
August 27, 2021
A Story of Survival, Hope, and Spirituality

Charlie Sheldon’s Adrift is a book of multiple stories told from different points of view. All of which beautifully interweave together to form a compelling tapestry of hope, spirituality, endurance, determination, and survival. Sheldon creates plots that are so alive, they hook the reader tight until the end.

In this book, every seafaring reader could relate to the struggles of the characters of the story. I’ve learned from my seafaring friends that the events in Adrift actually happen in real life. The tragedy that the Seattle Express gets into is perhaps the worst nightmare any mariner could ever experience, especially so when the mariner is the master of the ship.

As Steve Procida puts it:
“For a captain, losing a ship under any circumstances usually means the end of the line, career-wise, but to abandon ship, and then have the ship recovered is even worse.”

Adrift: The Plot

The main plot of Adrift is set in the vast ocean of the North Pacific under an untameable December weather. The Seattle Express rolls over rough seas when suddenly a fire breaks out. Its crew tries to remain calm even as they struggle to move around amid the mayhem of containers breaking loose from their positions, the violent seas rocking the ship, and the thickening smoke. Sadly, after desperately trying to figure out where the fire originates and attempting to put it out, the captain’s judgment call is to abandon ship. Steve then divides his crew into two teams to board the two lifeboats.

As soon as the lifeboats hit the water, communication between the two teams is also cut off.

Meanwhile, three hundred miles away on land, a couple who owns a small towing company learns about the tragedy at sea. They set out to salvage the burning container ship. They hope for a settlement claim. The towing company is in a difficult financial situation, and by salvaging the Seattle Express will mean saving their business. The towing team needs to get to the burning vessel quickly before the bigger tugboat, owned by the Seattle Express’ company, does. Will they get to the ship in time?

About Adrift’s Author

Charlie Sheldon is a master storyteller, no doubt. He keeps the suspense element of the plots consistently high. He describes the scenes so vividly, bringing the reader right into where the action takes place.

What I like the most in Adrift is its presentation of the different characters. Their portrayals are alive and very close to reality. And, the inclusion of the ancient, mystic faith into the story gives more weight and flavor to the plots. The characters’ sense of spirituality keeps their hope afloat in those trying moments of their lives.

There is only a slight part of the plot that I feel, is a bit hanging. The natives’ reaction to Buckhorn’s mining plans is not given much attention. I think this is important in the plot because the land forms part of the tribal characters’ cultural foundation. I wish Sheldon expounded a bit on this portion. But then, I also understand that the author must have his reason for touching the subject lightly. After all, this issue is just a backdrop of the overall plot.

Despite this personal observation, though, I did not find anything to dislike in the book. I give Adrift a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves reading adventure stories. Families and loved ones of seafarers should also read it. So they would understand what life is like riding the ferocious waves and harsh weather conditions out in the open sea. It pains me to see, on several real occasions, how children and spouses of seafarers squander their allotment money with little or no regard for the mariner’s sacrifice in providing for them.

NOTE: The above review first appeared in The Catalyst
Profile Image for Jane Shambler.
799 reviews32 followers
August 22, 2021
Now, this genre I usually go for in films not in books. But I saw this and thought why not give the written word a go. I was not disappointed.

Now I love to imagine what it's like from the descriptions of characters, events and scenery. Do you get what I mean? I like to close my eyes and imagine being there and it was a success. I could feel the heat from the fire and smoke, i could feel the wind and the rain. That is what I call good writing. Putting your reader there.

This is a story told from several points of view. All interlinking and developing a powerful image. That image is one of survival. All surviving differently but nevertheless surviving.

Yes, I would recommend this book. If you love action packed books this is the book for you.

Enjoy!
Profile Image for Rachel.
170 reviews11 followers
April 29, 2019
This book was better than I expected it to be, and I felt like it lived up to my expectations. It was a good story, and it isn't a story I would normally read, but I enjoyed it. I will note that the characters all sounded the same, and this made the story semi-flat. There were multiple POV's which also made it hard to keep track of who is who, and the characters mostly sounded the same. With this being said, it was still a wonderful read with few errors and a gripping plot. If you're into sailor stories and Indian tribes, this one is for you and I recommend it.
Profile Image for Joyce.
1,832 reviews40 followers
July 28, 2021
314 pages

4 stars

A captain named Steve and his crew must abandon their burning ship in the Gulf of Alaska. They part with approximately eleven people in each lifeboat. The sea is rough; the weather is abysmal. Steve’s boat loses contact with the other lifeboat. Did they make it off the ship? Unbeknownst to him, the other boat, led by William, has no radio or EPRIB.

William’s boat engine stalls. They are at the mercy of the waves and heading for the rocky shore of an island.

Louise co-owns a salvage boat with her husband Larry. Times are hard, Projects are few. Financially strapped when they hear of the burning ship in the Gulf. They quickly ready themselves and their tug to attempt to be the first salvage crew on site of the burning ship.

What follows is a well-told tale. The local Native American tribe is deciding on whether to let a big company mine their land - in exchange for all kinds of rosy promises, of course. This book is well written and plotted. One big problem I had was with the dialogue. Often it was difficult to understand who was doing the talking, or who the speaker was talking to. That is my only concern with the book. I truly enjoyed it. I liked listening to William’s stories and the Native American influence. I will definitely read another of Mr. Sheldon’s novels.

I want to thank NetGalley and IronTwine Press/IBPA Members’ Titles for forwarding to me a copy of this really good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
85 reviews2 followers
January 30, 2023
Do you know the feeling of total hopelessness, when nothing seems to work in your favour? Yes, it's terrible. And from very start of Adrift it's obvious you will have no time to breathe.
In a few moments there is time for big decisions, some of them right ones, some not that much. But as a captain of Seattle Express said, sometimes you have to make sacrifice in order to save your loved ones.
But where's a will, there's a way. One lifeboat full of sailors found itself on the shores of seemingly unhabituated island, far away from any help, wet and hungry, some of them even badly hurt. Although their situation seems hopeless, they are not giving up. With a help of spirits, stubbornness and courage of youth they are finally found and taken care of.
Whilst they fought with the mother Nature, the Seattle Express was about to be pulled from its frost prison. Unfortunately, icy December is not a friend of tugboat and one life is lost in this fight. No money of the world could buy it back.
In the game is also a mysterious cargo, massive environmental threat and lots of corruption. Not only in physical way, but also by corrupting people's souls into agreeing with something they shouldn't be so easy to give.
In this book you can find an awesome descriptions, deep conversations, politics of reservation and also relationships in their purest form. Love, lust, betrayal and also unconditional belief that some bonds are impossible to break.
Recommended with all of my ten fingers.
Profile Image for Lady.
1,102 reviews17 followers
July 10, 2022
This was a brilliant book it was so close to getting that 5th star. It was definitely a very thrilling read set in one of favourite parts of America. You might even see the town mentioned that come from a very well know vampire series. It also includes the bering sea in this book very well know for its terrible waters so eek plenty of exciting places.
I just loved the story line of this book. Also the characters as they developed well. The flow of this book was great with it's fast to medium pace.
The cover of the book was brilliant that and it's title really drew me in.
The ending was great and really made the book complete. I definitely recommend this book if you love story set at sea or survival stories. Please note this is the second story of a trilogy but you do not need to read the first to understand this book as it works very well as a standalone book.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishing team for creating this very exciting and thrilling story. I will definitely be reading the next book, in fact I can't wait.
37 reviews
February 23, 2023
I realized this is the second in a series. It pays to read things in order but this was fairly decent on back filling some of the storyline and is very much readable on it's own merits. There's a lot of technical boat and geography things that weren't perhaps necessary but also fine to ignore if you don't know shipping terms or the areas involved. You can follow the action parts of the story without knowing where these people are on a map or what the third mate does on a commercial shipping vessel. If you are familiar with those kinds of things you may appreciate what those details add to this book.

It was interesting it touched on different cultures and things that seem plausible and current. There are characters of all different ages which is I feel more interesting. It cuts between different sort of main characters but their lives are intertwining so it makes sense but maybe slows the narrative and action at times.

Not to spoil anything but you aren't dead until you are warm and dead.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Emily.
35 reviews4 followers
May 9, 2024
I first came across “Adrift” by Charlie Sheldon thanks to @onlinebookclub and I was pleasantly surprised by the adventure story Sheldon so expertly crafted! 📚”Adrift” is the second in the #strongheartseries and takes place in the wilderness of the #pnw 🌲The Seattle Express is a 700-pound container ship completing its round trip back to Seattle when a fire starts and the crew is forced to abandon ship. Meanwhile, Larry and Louise fire up their old tug and race against the powerful Buckhorn corporation to salvage the burning ship. The story follows the crew as they drift towards #haidagwaii on their fight for survival and the tug boat race to claim the boat. A true-blue adventure story, Sheldon creates a story of survival and the strength of community. A well-written mariners tale that you won’t want to put down!
10 reviews
April 28, 2023
This book was absolutely fantastic! The author has great knowledge about the culture of the Natives of years ago and the Olympic Peninsula, which became clear in Adrift.

While it was very hard to get through the scene when the boat was being tugged back to land, as I do not understand nautical terms, I was able to get through this book much more easily after I was past that. I was happy to see Sarah returned in this book, and readers were introduced to a new lineup of characters.

The descriptions were very vivid and engaging. I could certainly see this series becoming a full-fledged movie. There is a third book in this series, and I cannot wait to see what the author has done in that book. I definitely recommend this one!
1,692 reviews12 followers
April 26, 2022
I really never thought about how disabled ships returned to port. But it has been in the news recently. So this story was a timely one. Who knew the tug boat trade was so cut throat. I felt like there were several stories in one. There is the ship, the crew in separate life boats and how they survive, the life of the tug boat crew and then the big bad corporation. The only story I felt unfinished was the corporation shifty management. Well then the tug boat claim is hanging too. Each story is told through the eyes of a crew member. The race to get the tug boat to the ship was fast paced and had my heart racing. I liked this story more than I expected.
Profile Image for Angel  Ncube .
1 review
July 14, 2021
Adrift is about life challenges. Family, friends, tribes, and businesses clash with all their forces as people face fire, snow, ragging waters, loss, and picking up the pieces of all that life can deal. It holds out a hand to those searching for grit to hold on and hope beyond what we can logically see.

Told from multiple points of view, the intertwining plots wove tighter and tighter together until all the lines formed a beautiful tapestry of love, determination, endurance and survival against the odd
Profile Image for Polly Krize.
2,134 reviews44 followers
August 26, 2021
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not knowing this was the second in a series, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Charlie Sheldon. Using the tugboat Warhorse to salvage the Seattle Express, a container ship west of Haida Gwaii puts the crew in jeopardy, but the race for the prize is on. Battling huge seas, 2 lifeboats leave the wallowing Seattle Express, each one encountering amazing challenges to survive. Well written and mesmerizing, I will be following Mr. Sheldon for more of this kind of excellent writing.
132 reviews5 followers
January 13, 2023
Thanks to the author and BookTasters for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is full of survival stories that are told from various points of view. This adds layers to the story but at times it was difficult to keep up with exactly which character's viewpoint it was they sometimes sounded the same. That being said, the writing keeps up the suspense elements so you want to keep reading until the very end. Overall a captivating story of endurance, hope and survival.
Perfect if you a fan of action packed survival stories, thrillers or seafaring stories.
Profile Image for Molly.
11 reviews2 followers
January 14, 2023
This book is part of series and although i did not read the first one, this book was easy to understand and able to read on its own without having to read the other books. I found this book engaging and informative. The one downside i would say is the different chapters with different perspectives but same monotone monologue. Other than that, this book puts so much into perspective and talks about an industry i had no idea about. It’s also a book that shows strength, endurance, hope and survival. Highly recommend!
26 reviews
August 26, 2021
Beautiful

Not a genre I pick up very often, but the way the tale was told I was riveted from the beginning. Just when you think you understand where the story is, the author throws you a curve ball out of nowhere. Even managed to keep doing it right up to the very end. A delightful read, I'm glad I picked it up.
Profile Image for Carson Quarnberg.
63 reviews1 follower
February 18, 2020
Much better than anticipated. Clearly heavily researched, and the characters were likable even if there were so many that it took a while to remember names. The ending was a little abrupt but I liked it. We don’t need to know the specifics of how they got William out, especially knowing that it’d probably be boring with the author’s particular style. As it is, the story left off right as my heart was still pounding. I didn’t expect all the native stuff vs. Buckhorn, and that definitely added something to it. I wish we’d gotten closure about the Seattle Express’ demise, especially since Travis was foreshadowing finding some kind of foul play that he’d then write about.

Official review posted at https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julie  Whitley.
207 reviews12 followers
December 12, 2018
An epic tale of survival and love.

I could not put this story down until I reached the end in record time. Told from multiple points of view, the intertwining plots wove tighter and tighter together until all the lines formed a beautiful tapestry of love, determination, endurance and survival against the odds.
A tanker ship catches fire far out in the Bering sea in the middle of a treacherous December storm. Abandoning ship is their only choice and a series of events are set in motion that test everyone’s limits.
I highly recommend this adventure story!
25 reviews
May 28, 2019
Life is a grand story...this slice of grit and love is amazing!

Adrift is about life challenges. Family, friends, tribes, and businesses clash with all their forces as people face fire, snow, ragging waters, loss, and picking up the pieces of all that life can deal. It holds out a hand to those searching for grit to hold on and hope beyond what we can logically see. It reminds us all our stories are precious, and they best told roundabouts with friends. Adrift invites all to great adventure!
11 reviews
February 9, 2020
Thank you for writing such a wonderful story. Makes a person think about how we all came to be here and our first peoples. Anything is possible with his our earth seasons change. I loved the flow of his it read, the history. Loved this book. I would say it's an amazing,awesome read and anyone would enjoy it. There wasn't anything I didn't like. I will enjoy reading this again. A new favorite to add to my collection.

Sheldon is a great writer. Keep them coming and I will keep reading. Your added to my favorite Authors. Thank you for a wonderful book..
98 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2019
Damn! I loved this book!
Another gem found in the Kindle Unlimited bargain bin. It captures the life and spirit of a little known area, and an obscure business. A cast of characters, all human, collectively noble, are on a multi level quest for survival. The hard life of salvage mariners combines with the spirit life of the regional people. You just feel the author is writing from his life.
Going to find more by Charlie Sheldon right now.
20 reviews
January 30, 2020
Held my interest!

Usually I don't enjoy books written in the first person, but I stuck with it through the first chapter - I'm glad I did. By the middle of the second chapter ( not in the first person) I was hooked. A well written book gets you to care about the characters and Adrift certainly did just that. The character story lines and the book's story line as a whole are compelling and will keep your interest throughout.
Profile Image for Tara Brown.
334 reviews28 followers
April 1, 2019
Adrift by Charlie Sheldon is a standalone sequel to the ever-so-popular Strong Heart. This adventurous story at sea contains characters that jump off the pages and gives vivid descriptions of the setting and events. You definitely do not want to miss this one! I also highly recommend Strong Heart, the book this one follows. Thank you! :-)
178 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2019
this book started off so good but toward the middle of the book it got muddy with technical terms of seamen ship terms and the survival parts were too concise and not worked through enough to really engage the reader, however, it took an expansive look at Native American life in the Pacific Northwest and I really felt educated after finishing the story and was glad I read it.
Profile Image for Laura.
9 reviews2 followers
April 2, 2023
A great adventure book!! Once you start reading this book you won’t be able to put it down. A fire on a ship in the Northern Pacific Ocean cause the ship to be abandoned. The crew makes it to the lifeboats but this is when the real adventures start. The author definitely knows how to write a story to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Profile Image for Anita Barron.
5 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2019
Since everything I know about boats and sailing can fit into a cup, I didn’t think I’d enjoy this tale, but I was wrong. Strong characters, Excellent visual descriptions and adventure that keeps you invested. Excitement and layers of this story made for a very good read.
16 reviews
February 9, 2020
Great Adventure

I love adventure books - people fighting against the elements and winning. I could read more of these.
I kept going back and felt like I knew the characters and became invested in their struggles.
23 reviews
February 11, 2020
Harsh reality of northern winter well written

I really enjoyed this book, and It is not my typical choice of subjects. The harsh reality of a northern winter as well as the interesting characters kept me hooked. Charles Sheldon is now going to be a regular on my reading list!
30 reviews2 followers
April 14, 2020
Adrift

This is the second book in the strong heart series. I enjoyed this but it was a hard read for me as it moved very slowly. I was happy to see the characters from the other book rally to find their friend. I would recommend but you have to have patience with this one.
Profile Image for Carrie Cross.
64 reviews
July 30, 2020
This book is extremely boring. There are 15 different characters that all have the same boring, monotone personalities and it's hard to keep up with. The only people who might actually enjoy this book are those who have experience with navigation and ships
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