Afloat cover art

Afloat

A Memoir

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Afloat

By: Danie Couchman
Narrated by: Danie Couchman
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About this listen

Danie Couchman grew up on the move, her family never staying still long enough for her to say where she's from. At 25, and living in her 17th 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 on board 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.

Cover Credit: © Eleanor Taylor

©2018 Danie Couchman (P)2019 Audible, Ltd Sailing & Boating Women Transportation City

Critic Reviews

"What an enjoyable and engaging book. I loved all the granular detail of boat living, the portraits of the various characters who live on the water, and the moving story of Danie's family and her teenage years. The way she describes feeling powerless when in thrall to older boys will be painfully resonant to lots of women." (Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act Of Love)

"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)

"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)

What listeners say about Afloat

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A inspirational story worth hearing

Author paints life on the water in vivid colors, emotional, heartwarming and funny. Highly recommend.

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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.