On October 23, 2009, Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped from their sailing boat in the Seychelles. Their yacht, Lynn Rival, was recovered by naval forces six days later, abandoned off the central Somali coast, almost a thousand miles away. After the attack, the couple was taken first onto a hijacked merchant ship and then to Somalia, where they were held for over a year, enduring threats, intimidation, solitary confinement, and even whippings while their captors tried to extort millions of dollars from their middle-class family. In this remarkable book, the Chandlers recount their terrifying ordeal, day by day, revealing the inspiring and poignant story behind the dramatic headlines. At the heart of their survival was their unshakable belief in each other and their determination to survive. It is this that makes Hostage an unlikely love story-for Paul and Rachel, death at times seemed preferable to being separated. Book jacket.