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Maurice and Maralyn

An extraordinary true story of love at sea, and 2026's most enthralling summer read

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Maurice and Maralyn

By: Sophie Elmhirst
Narrated by: Florence Howard
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$8.99/month after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offer ends on 29 July 2026 at 11:59 AEST.

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Brought to you by Penguin.

**WINNER OF THE NERO AWARDS GOLD PRIZE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024**
**WINNER OF THE NERO AWARDS NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024**

An extraordinary true story of shipwreck, survival and love

Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maurice and Maralyn plan their escape: sell the house, build a boat, set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway around the world, their beloved boat is struck by a whale and the pair are cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Alone on a tiny raft, their love is put to the test. This is a book about human connection and the human condition; about how we survive – not just at sea, but in life.

'An enthralling, engrossing story of survival' Bill Bryson
‘An absolute jewel of a book’ India Knight
‘A gripping tale of adventure’ Elizabeth Day
‘An extraordinary survival story’ Sunday Times

A Guardian, Observer & Waterstones Non-fiction Book of the Year

©2024 Sophie Elmhirst (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Marriage & Long-Term Partnerships Relationships Romance
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Critic Reviews

An enthralling, engrossing story of survival and the resilience of the human spirit (BILL BRYSON)
Electrifying . . . a tender portrait of two unconventional souls blithely defying the conventions of their era and making a break for freedom (Fiona Sturges)
Extraordinary . . . Elmhirst is a terrific writer (ELIZABETH DAY)
An extraordinary survival story… Elmhirst’s reconstruction of their ordeal is riveting, told in illuminating detail
Maurice and Maralyn somehow contrives to be both gripping and elegiac. Sophie Elmhirst's graceful, confident prose is novelistic in its pleasures and profoundly moving in its impact (KALIANE BRADLEY, author of The Ministry of Time)
Amazing (BARACK OBAMA)
A compelling book about a shipwreck, but also as thoughtful a tale about marriage, for better and worse, as you are likely to read
Thought-provoking…compelling…tender… An ideal gift for a friend or family who likes incredible true stories of survival. But it’s also a book about love and hubris. And in that sense, it’s a book for us all. (PANDORA SYKES)
An amazing tale of survival . . . reminds me how incredibly hard it is to find love out there in the world (Tracey Thorn)
This dramatic, profound human story is so beautifully told in calm, thoughtful, perfectly judged prose. I really could not put it down (NINA STIBBE, author of Love, Nina)
All stars
Most relevant
The book was so well read that I enjoyed the story twice as much as I would have had I had to read it. I may not have finished it. But, the reader brought love story of M& M alive and you became invested in finding out what happened next.

The will to survive- even in the worst scenario .

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I think it's a good insight into human tolerance. Sad in many ways, eye opener to what can happen at sea.

The encounter with whales.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.