Some memoirs satisfy with their shocking tales, some satisfy with their thoughtful analysis of the common human story, and every once in a while, I discover a memoir that combines each of these elements with beautiful language and I find myself moved and enlightened in a way that it would be hard for a novel to match. Set Adrift is one such rare and perfect gem: Sarah Conover was eighteen months old when she and her sister were orphaned by a family yachting accident, and as her grandparents, in particular, were persons of note in the community, Conover is able to explore both the public record of their disappearance and her own private struggle with growing up as an orphan in the middle of a large and colourful family. I was fascinated by everything here — Conover shares much about her situation that I had never considered — and I am enlarged by having learned of her journey to wholeness.