Ruthless River

Love and Survival by Raft on the Amazon's Relentless Madre de Dios

By: Holly FitzGerald

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie

A stunning debut; a Departures original publication. The ultimate survival story; a wild ride—the wildest—down a South American river in the thick of the Amazon Basin; a true and thrilling adventure of a young married couple who survive a plane crash only to later raft hundreds of miles across Peru and Bolivia, ending up in a channel to nowhere, a dead end so flooded there is literally no land to stand on. Their raft—a mere four logs—separates them from the piranha-and-caiman-infested water until they finally realize that there is no way out but to swim. Vintage Original.

Holly FitzGerald and her husband, Fitz—married less than two years—set out on a yearlong honeymoon adventure of a lifetime, backpacking around the world. Five months into the trip their plane crash lands in Peru at a penal colony walled in by jungle, and their blissfully romantic journey turns into a terrifying nonstop labyrinth of escape and survival.

On a small, soon-ravaged raft that quickly becomes their entire universe through dangerous waters alive with deadly animals and fish, their only choice: to continue on, despite the rush of insects swarming them by day, the sounds of encroaching predators at night. Without food or means of communication, with no one to hear their cries for help or on a search-and-rescue expedition to find them, the author and her husband make their way, fighting to conquer starvation and navigate the brute force of the river, their only hope for survival, in spite of hunger and weakening resolve, to somehow, miraculously hang on and find their way east to a large riverside town, before it is too late. . . .

Terrific True Adventure!

I listen to true adventure stories all the time, and this is one of the best! Couldn't put it down!

Captivating

this is a captivating and suspenseful story. I love the details and the amazing story.

Incredible journey of courage and faith

I personally know Holly and Fitz and although they told us what happened after they came Back it never registered as it did listening to this incredible journey by Holly. Holly is an excellent writer just as Fitz is an excellent writer and poet and I am so proud to know them to be able to call them my friends. And the reader did a great job as I teared up at least three or four times throughout the book. Fantastic and I’m so glad like two friends I still alive after all that – – Dennis NIermann

Wow!

If you could sum up Ruthless River in three words, what would they be?

Beautifully retold story of survival.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Holly, I suppose was my favorite character. Her thoughtful insights and beautiful descriptions during a time of unimaginable stress. Her perseverance and love of adventure.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think some of my favorite scenes were the conversations between Holly and Fitz. Especially the humor that they both could weave into lighten the mood despite the dire situation they were facing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I was really hooked. Listened in two days.

Story should be gripping...

What did you like best about Ruthless River? What did you like least?

The narration.

Would you be willing to try another one of Jorjeana Marie’s performances?

Don't think so.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Really, this story should grab your attention from the beginning and carry you through the current of the narrative, but the narration was abysmal. I found myself disliking Holly, her inability to make sound decisions and her (seemingly) whiney attitude – the voice given to her by the narrator is naïve and childlike.

Also, the fact that Holly and Fitz made some crazy choices without much forethought didn’t lead me to feel very compassionate towards their plight. Fitz was a Viet Nam war veteran – having served his tour in country. You would think he would have had some understanding of what a jungle is and the dangers that lurk around every bend. But no, apparently not. The whole story is unbelievable and annoying.