“Exciting, funny, and occasionally heart-stopping … readers can stay home and dry, but feel like they are on the high seas.”—BOOKLIST

A man and his chicken sail 45,000 nautical miles in this powerful story of following your dreams no matter what stands in your way.

When Guirec Soudée was 21 years old, he bought a 30-foot sailboat and set out across the Atlantic, despite having only sailed a dinghy before.

His only companion? His plucky pet hen, Monique.

Guirec never intended to sail the world with a chicken, but after reaching the Caribbean, he and Monique made for Greenland—and emerged from the pack ice 100 days later.

Their next goal? San Francisco. Then, Antarctica. But first, could they navigate the treacherous Northwest Passage? One thing was for sure: Monique would help her trusty skipper by laying an egg!


Heart-stopping adventure story: navigating treacherous icebergs with a chicken on the mast is just one of many nail-biting maneuvers from this action-packed book.
Perfect for readers of The Art of Racing in the Rain: Guirec and Monique’s bond is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
Inspirational: Guirec shows that all you have to do is believe to achieve something big.
Photographs and maps: show the epic voyage and provide breaks in the text.


Guirec and Monique’s unbelievable journey won the hearts of people all over the world and caused a social media frenzy when it happened. Now, in their long-awaited first book, readers will uncover their gripping voyage from start to finish.

Translated by: David Warriner