I have an idealized vision the surf life, careless days of chasing waves and adventures are like a dream of a nostalgic time filled with cliches ripped from movies and advertisements for sunglasses.

I read most of William Finnegan's Barbarian Days during a few late weeknight evenings. After I extricated myself from the book each night, I lay awake in bed, sleep stalled by lingering adrenaline.

"I gave up a couple of times, but she always believed," the laconic American writer told AFP. Her zen attitude paid off. The book has been heaped with awards including a Pulitzer prize and become a ...