A Flick of Sunshine by Frederic and Alexander Hill

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Flick of Sunshine:

If your boat gets shipwrecked, never sail again.

Quick synopsis:

A biography of Richard Willis Jackson who had some of the most amazing bad luck and good luck simultaneously.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Coconut milk was used by islanders in the Pacific when they had no fresh water on their islands.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Maine contributed the most soldiers to the Civil War (per capita).

My Take on A Flick of Sunshine:

At one point in this book, the authors state that Richard Willis (Will) Jackson was an optimist by nature. This is by far the biggest understatement I have read in a book in a long time.

Jackson’s seafaring life is a chronicle of a man who sees hardship and refuses to quit or wallow. At one point, the ship he is serving on is smashed on a small, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific. This is bad news. Very quickly, natives from another island come upon the wreck and help the crew. This is good news! Fast forward a little bit and Will is ultimately left behind by the entire crew with some elderly natives. Don’t worry, this isn’t a spoiler. It is only the first three pages of the book. Will would have many more adventures. I won’t spoil them. This is a quick read with a lot of crazy stories.

Verdict:

A fun and very quick read. Anyone who enjoys a good adventure story will love it. Buy it here!