438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea

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Salvador Alvarenga was a barely literate Salvadoran fisherman who fled to Mexico for safety. Alvaranega was a hard partier who spent money as soon as it came in. Although he kept his cards close to the vest, he was a generous friend and employee who would lend money or his time, such as when other fishermen went missing. Addley, Esther (January 31, 2014). "Castaway tells tale of 16-month Pacific survival to rival Life of Pi". The Guardian . Retrieved February 4, 2014. There are stories of survival and then there is this story of simply refusing to die. Salvador Alvarenga will forever be the man to tough for the sun to fry and for tough circumstances to thwart. Pearlman, Jonathan (February 4, 2014). "Castaway from Mexico: First photos of Jose Salvador Alvarenga's boat". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved February 4, 2014.

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Going out to sea might seem simple but it is a monster you must face,” explains a colleague of Alvarenga known as El Hombre Lobo (“The Wolfman”). “If you are going to face the sea you have to be ready for all it can toss at you, including the wind, a storm or a big animal that might eat you—all those dangers. People go out for these little seaside trips, that is not the ocean. The ocean is out there past 120 kilometers [70 miles]. The folks on the beach here live comfortable, they go to sleep in a bed, but out there, you feel terror. Even in your chest you feel it. Your heart beats different.”a b c d e f g Pearlman, Jonathan (February 4, 2014). "Castaway's family in El Salvador rejoice at his survival". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved February 4, 2014.

438 Days by Jonathan Franklin | Waterstones

I not only appreciate the incredible story told, a story that has much to tell anyone who has ever felt themselves facing seemingly insurmountable odds (which is pretty much everyone), but also the tremendous research which creates the basis for the tale, and the heartfelt sympathy and respect that Mr. Franklin gave to Salvador Alvarenga, our protagonist. This story is a feast for the mind as well as the heart. This biography was amazing. It is the type of non fiction that makes me feel good about being alive. In 438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea, we meet a man named Salvador Alvarenga and see his unbelievable will to live against all odds. His name was Salvador and he arrived with bloody feet, said he was looking for work—anything to start—but to those who saw the newcomer arrive, he looked like a man on the run.It wasn’t until a year later, when the fog of confusion subsided and he scanned the maps of his drift across the Pacific Ocean, that Alvarenga began to fathom his extraordinary journey. For 438 days, he lived on the edge of sanity. “I suffered hunger, thirst and an extreme loneliness, and didn’t take my life,” Alvarenga says. “You only get one chance to live – so appreciate it.” Connelly, Sherryl (November 14, 2015). "Fisherman survives '438 Days' lost at sea, story told by Jonathan Franklin in new book". The Daily News . Retrieved August 11, 2019. Somehow, I never heard about this man. I can’t believe this happened in my lifetime and I missed the news about it. Everything in this book comes from Alvarenga's POV. He could've lied about any number of things. He mentions hallucinatory like dream-states. For all we know, Ezequiel was successful in suicide, and Alvarenga didn't want Ezequiel's uber-religious family to know. There are hundreds of questions, to which, only Alvarenga knows the answer. Floating across the Pacific Ocean, watching the moon’s light ebb and flow for over a year, Alvarenga had battled loneliness, depression and bouts of suicidal thinking. But surviving in a vibrant world of wild animals, vivid hallucinations and extreme solitude did little to prepare him for the fact that he was about to become an international celebrity and an object of curiosity. I was so hungry that I was eating my own fingernails, swallowing all the little pieces Salvador Alvarenga