Titanic Adventure

Titanic Adventure

From School Library Journal YA-A well-paced autobiography of a remarkable, gutsy woman whose lifelong love of adventure and the sea seemed destined to lead her to the wreck of the Titanic. Carter begins by describing her youthful obsession with the ocean and classic stories of nautical adventure. She recounts events in her youth, her disastrous first marriage, and her devotion to her children as she took on the burden of single motherhood. While maintaining a tedious day job, Carter managed to pursue skydiving, parasailing, ballooning, river rafting, hang gliding, and skiing. On one fateful trip to Scotland working as a diver for a National Geographic shoot, the author met Bob Ballard, who was eventually the first man to see the wreckage of the Titanic on the ocean floor. She explains how her varied experiences over the course of many years as a diver, project director, and diving coordinator would one day land her the job of a lifetime: leader of a French-American expedition to film a documentary on the salvaging of the ship's artifacts. Much more than just another story of the Titanic, this is a true account of high drama, written with flair.Cynthia J. Rieben, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Titanic Adventure will bring to a generation of women and men fascinated by the Titanic legend an electrifying, new, true story of suspense, danger and the legendary ocean liner under the seas. From Publishers Weekly An abusive first marriage, a remote father and the lifelong yearning for adventure combined to inspire Carter to become the first woman to dive to the wreck of the Titanic. After a brief recollection of an all too familiar litany?the squashing of her tomboyish tendencies, her husband's physical and mental abuse and her resulting depression?Carter fortunately turns her attention to her career choices. From bank teller to coordinator of the Titanic 1987 recovery expedition, she explains in a captivating narrative style the trials and tribulations of working in "a man's world." Carter describes her youthful fascination with the Titanic and the sacrifice and mental toughness she needed to actually visit the wreck. The turning point comes when she meets Ralph White, a scuba instructor and "Professional Adventurer" who pushes her toward her goals. The bulk of the book deals with the expedition itself: there are storms metaphorical and real, as well as intrigue and conflict, as she finds herself reconciling not only various personalities but also two governments. Between vivid descriptions of her dive and those of others during the expedition, Carter also details the findings, whether recovered objects or the first sighting of the gash that is believed to have sunk the liner. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Once in a while, a female writer who has been through the work mill comes along to relate her story of her rise to the top. . . or, in this case, to the bottom of the sea. Carter tells of her marriage to a jerk and the catharsis that followed, along with an interesting encounter with a Titanic survivor that made her determined to participate in dives to the famous wreckage. Despite being the sole woman in the man's world of diving and treasure hunting, she does well and accomplishes much, largely steering clear of the turmoil around her (battles between French and American divers, stolen artifacts, and the like.) In addition, she meets and romances adventurer-screenwriter Hirschhorn (The Poseidon Adventure) and gets to dive alongside pundit and occasional treasure hunter William F. Buckley Jr. The book is a lightning-fast read, and it may inspire others to follow their dream in spite of the obstacles, including sexual politics, in their path. Joe Collins