Sandra CH Smith had everything…marriage, children, elegant home, exciting social life and a successful journalism career. But when a motorist hit her head on, she suffered for almost a year as a recluse with long-term retrograde amnesia. Cognac and French wine soon took insidious control. At 35, she fearfully opened the door of a 12-Step recovery program. Two years later, with a shared-custody arrangement in place, to protect and nourish her hard-won sobriety, Smith walked away with just $600 in her pocket to rebuild her life.

At eight years sober, with no knowledge of sailing, the author bought a 35-foot sailboat and taught herself to sail. Without electronics or radar, she embarked mostly alone, occasionally with her rebellious teenaged daughter, on the 2,555-day adventure with just a compass, a chart and a prayer. The spiritual odyssey gave mother and daughter a chance to begin healing their fragile relationship. Smith’s book offers a heart-warming, sometimes humorous, sometimes terrifying testament to triumph over adversity.

Out of the Fog! provides painful but compelling insights into overcoming addiction as well as solving relationship issues. The book illustrates the power of hope, faith and courage in facing the difficulties of recovery and in healing relationships. It is an intimate narrative of how a woman tackled life-threatening challenges on land and at sea and emerged strong, fearless and independent.