Dear Reader,

      I became obsessed with big wave surfing after reading Susan Casey’s The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean, which details how a group of fearless surfers decided to do the impossible: surf waves taller than ten- or even twenty-story buildings. One of the most dangerous breaks in the world exists in Hawaii. Called Jaws, the surfers regularly drown here as they search for the next, most extreme wave.

      The Big Break focuses on Kai Brady, one of these extreme surfers, who’s trying to overcome a serious leg injury in order to make it back into his favorite sport. He’s haunted by the tsunami that injured him and struggles to get back into shape. It’s only when a strong-willed trainer named Jun and her adorable little boy, Po, come into his life that he starts to see that maybe surfing isn’t all there is to life. Maybe having a family, or ohana, as they say in Hawaiian, means even more than riding the perfect wave.

      I love this story because Jun helps Kai see that healing can’t be forced, and the growing bond between them proves that the only thing more powerful than the ocean is the power of love.

      I hope you enjoy this little trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, my absolute favorite place on earth.

      Mahalo!

      Cara