Susan Cole

SUSAN COLE’S FIRST BOOK, HOLDING FAST: A MEMOIR OF SAILING, LOVE, AND LOSS tells the story of a family who leaves everything behind to sail to the Caribbean. Susan has lived on or around sailboats for more than thirty years. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio. In her twenties, Susan met John, who talked her into living on a romantic ferryboat. It sank. When their daughter was seven, they left their house behind and sailed away. Inexperienced in long-distance sailing, they were terrified to sail in the dark. Toward the end of this adventure, Susan took charge during a deadly hurricane in Guatemala while John was away, realizing her true capabilities. Between sails, Susan earned a B.A. at Barnard College, an M.A. in Psychology at Columbia University, and, for many years, ran a successful market research firm in New York. Her essays have appeared in literary and sailing magazines. John has passed away, but Susan's spirit of adventure lives on. Susan now lives in Vancouver, Washington.