Suzanne Heywood has released her memoir, “Wavewalker”, which recounts her unique and adventurous upbringing as the daughter of a sailor. Despite the challenges she faced during decade-long trip on the high seas, including isolation and a lack of formal education, Heywood managed to achieve academic and professional success.
An Incredible Journey
“When we lived in England my days had a familiar rhythm. Each morning, my mother flung open the curtains in my room, and I tugged my school jumper over my head and pulled on my skirt before tumbling downstairs to eat cereal with my younger brother Jon. After school, we’d play on the swing in our garden, or crouch at the far end of the stream to watch dragonflies hovering above the gold-green surface. I was used to this rhythm; I liked it and thought it would never change. Until one morning over breakfast, my father announced that we were going to sail around the world”.
In 1976, Heywood’s family set sail on the Schooner Wavewalker from England, planning for a three-year voyage. However, the journey turned out to be a decade-long trip and covered over fifty thousand miles across the world’s oceans. Heywood’s memoir, “Wavewalker,” is a thrilling story, captivating and shocking adventure on the high seas. Her story covers her extraordinary upbringing, a survival story of a child with lack of safety, friendships, schooling, and sometimes even drinking water. Heywood’s memoir is a story about her experiences, from living on a boat with her family to the excitement of exploring new places. Even under these circumstances and conditions Heywood ardently desired to return to England and to get an education and stability. Journey was not an easy one, but the challenges were met with determination and a thirst for knowledge.
A Story of Resilience and Success
Despite being isolated and lacking access to formal education, Heywood managed to educate herself and eventually managed to enter Oxford University. After earning her PhD, Heywood went on to work for the UK Treasury and at McKinsey and Company, where she specialized in organization design and strategy. Her career success is a testament to her resilience and determination to succeed, despite the challenges she faced in childhood.
Heywood’s experience provide a unique insight into a world that many of us will never know, and her memoir serves as a reminder of the power of the human spirit.
