Afloat: A Memoir

Description

Danie Couchman grew up on the move, her family never staying still long enough for her to say where she's from. At twenty-five, and living in her seventeenth home, she finds herself drowning in the rush of London life, and makes an impulsive decision: to buy a narrowboat and make it her home. Surrounded by an eclectic and itinerant community in the uncharted territory of the capital's urban wilderness, Danie becomes fully immersed in this hidden world. Each day onboard her boat Genesis is an adventure full of disaster and magic. Over five years of living off-grid, nomadic Danie learns to survive the many highs and lows of boat life alone, keeping herself, and her steel home, afloat. A captivating debut, Afloat is the story of a young woman's desire to escape an ever more isolated city existence and reconnect with nature, discovering what is important in life.

Danie Couchman is a writer, broadcaster and wanderer. She studied journalism in Nottingham and has since worked in an eclectic variety of roles, from a local radio reporter to the voice of MTV's Official Top 40. She currently works as a voice over artist and her writing has been published in Waterfront and The Simple Things magazines. Danie has lived in four countries, seventeen houses and three boats. She enjoys wild swimming, cooking, and adventures with her dog Mango. She is soon to be settling on land close to the sea in Devon. Afloat is her first book.

'Afloat makes it clear that we must all stop to appreciate the simplicity of life in the urban landscape of London's waterways.' -- George Burton * BBC Radio London * 'Beautifully written. A captivating insight into a slower, simpler existence.' * The Outdoor Adventure Blog * 'This is such a lovely book, about life on the river, and so much more. It's a tale of strength and courage - painfully sad, and beautifully uplifting, and always fascinating.' -- Anna Maxted * The Times * 'A moving and luminous memoir which shows that a home can be created in the most unexpected of places.' -- Jessica Jonzen * The Home Page * 'Beautifully written. A captivating insight into a slower, simpler existence.' * The Outdoor Adventure Blog *