The Heart of the Runaway

Book excerpt: The Heart of the Runaway is like Wild, a captivating real-life narrative where the trail never ends. A feverishly gripping debut memoir from Liberty Elias Miller, the book plunges you straight into the deep waters of a life of fierce independence, nomadic living, and fighting in the most human of ways through the aftermath of her brother's murder, the open sea as a cast member of Whale Wars, and the excruciatingly relatable battle to be true to one's own heart. Written across the globe from ship cabins in the Mediterranean, hotel rooms in Japan, and vans in the Pacific Northwest, the book carries you through the world with it, splashing you with saltwater, tears, tough luck, and mud. Part diary, part travelogue, part book of wisdom, this churning meditation comes from the kind of writer who speaks to you like a pen pal whose letters you cherish getting in the mail, read over and over, and keep stashed in your bedside table. A raw account of a wanderer, a sister, a lover, a fighter, and most of all, a friend you will feel you've known forever, the Heart of the Runaway is a powerful drama for a new generation of feminists, nomads, and survivors.