Review (PDF) The Widow Wave: A True Courtroom Drama Of Tragedy At Sea
Will anyone ever know what happened to the Aloha, a sport fishing boat that vanished with all onboard in the Pacific off San Francisco’s coast? ‘Knowing’ is a complex, inexact business. There’s real truth and then there’s courtroom truth; a jury’s verdict may or may not approach what actually happened. Nor can someone reading about such an event—one that had no witnesses or hard evidence to explain it—be sure where the truth lies. But trials, judges, and juries are what we use in our legal system to find truth.The Widow Wave explores this alternate reality. It is a fascinating true-life mystery and lawyer procedural rolled into one. Jay Jacobs offers no facile answers—and he’s not the flawless protagonist typically starring in such dramas. He lets us see how such a big wrongful death case really unfolds, in a true story that reads like a novel. Will the jury find the truth? Will the reader?"Jay Jacobs’ vivid prose pulls you into a compelling drama, deftly transporting you from the courtroom to the storm-tossed Pacific and back to the courtroom again. The book reads like a well-wrought detective novel."— Daniel James Brown, New York Times Bestselling Author of 'The Boys in the Boat' "An intelligently told true story of honor, integrity and justice. The Widow Wave reminded me of The Perfect Storm, played out in a taut courtroom thriller. Jay Jacobs masterfully weaves the harrowing tale of the last voyage of the Aloha, and courtroom battle that followed. A great read." — Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Author of 'My Sister's Grave'"A compelling story of a modern day maritime tragedy that beautifully discusses the vital importance of advances in observational technologies, forecasts and communications in avoiding future loss of life at sea. Jacobs skillfully weaves together the legal, scientific and maritime narratives to enthrall and educate the reader." — Julie Thomas, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Manager of the Institute of Geo and Planetary Physics"Trial lawyer Jay Jacobs, in a unique, personally revealing memoir, defends a widow and her deceased husband's honor in an intimate first person account of how the civil trial process unfolds.... The reader will learn about the strategies, shoals, and embroilments of a real life, vigorously contested trial with its many emotional upheavals." — Justice James Marchiano (ret.), formerly Presiding Justice, California Court of Appeals, First Appellate District
File Size: 1205 KB
Print Length: 278 pages
Publisher: Quid Pro Books (August 18, 2014)
Publication Date: August 18, 2014
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00MUE1FX0
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #516,543 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #14 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Law > Specialties > Personal Injury #39 in Books > Law > Specialties > Personal Injury #104 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Lawyers & Judges
I finished The Widow Wave some time ago but it has taken me some time to process. This was a true and accurate story of a tragic accident that left it's mark on many. The perfect portrayal of my mom, Janet Dowd, was very touching and made me miss her even more than I already do. She was an amazing woman and the best mom a child could have- no contest. When a mother loses a husband, a precious 19 year old son full of promise, a beloved brother-in-law, and 2 dear friends, you would expect her to crumble. My mom, though her heart was crushed, was the rock that pulled the rest of us through. She survived by her faith and the knowledge that she would see them all again and she made sure that the rest of did as well. We lost our amazing mom two years ago and the only consolation we have is that she is back together with all the ones that she loved. Thank you Jay for writing the story how it really happened and portraying my mom as the rock star that she truly was.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. Gripping tale of the loss of a 34 foot fishing boat with 5 men on board outside the Golden Gate Bridge at the mouth of San Francisco Bay, and the law suit that resulted from the men's presumed deaths. Courtroom drama with great insight into how attorneys prepare and try a complex case. I learned a great deal of how waves are formed in the ocean and the dangerous waters caused by the waves pounding on the shoal that built up at the entrance to the bay by thousands of years of silt being deposited from the Sacramento River and the ebbing tides. As a life long surfer and long time boater I wish I had learned these lessons many years earlier.
I am not a boater or a follower of legal courtroom dramas, but I LOVED this book. This is a story of love and loyalty! Jacobs does a magnificent job of telling this story from his first person perspective as the attorney for the Dowds; however, he also conveys Janet's total commitment and belief in her husband throughout this book. His own emotions and cognition are so clear throughout this book that the reader will come to feel a personal connection to Jacobs. It is through this insight into the devotion of Jacobs as the attorney for the family that the reader also connects to Janet and her undying belief in her deceased husband.The Widow Wave reads like a novel and immediately draws the reader's full interest and attention. The story should be made into a movie!
I am a slow reader & I devoured this book in 3 sittings. It had me on the first page & would not let go. Growing up in the Bay Area, with a Dad who was a lawyer and avid sailor, & who kept our sailboat in Sausalito, helped a bit, I will admit. This book reeled me in quickly & gave me that almost disappointment feeling when I finished it. I wanted more! The drama was intense & precarious, the court room action mesmerizing. This is no Perry Mason story. This is real life -- vividly, truthfully & at times wrenchingly depicted. It's not clean & easy; it's messy & chaotic. I loved it, & highly recommend it.
The words "riveting" and "engrossing" cannot be overused in this instance. Jay Jacobs brings the reader into his world as a litigation attorney representing one widow made so by a sea tragedy that claimed the lives of five men. The author's forthright assessment of the legal issues in play, as well as the abilities and foibles of the competing lawyers, makes for a fresh, edge-of-your-seat immersion into this difficult case. But something else is at work, also. The author addresses the emotions and moral components of this case with unusual sensitivity and awareness, and the reader benefits from his humanity, compassion and deep caring. I will never look at the ocean in the same way again-and I live on an island! San Francisco and this case will forever be twinned in my mind as a result of Jay Jacobs' masterful crafting.
Great read, I could not put it down! After I finished it, I felt it was so much more than a good plot: the writer helps you understand the intricacies of trial practice so effortlessly, that by the end of the book you will feel you actually learned a lot, not only about the legal system, but about human nature and the psychology of the adversary system. A well rounded, well written book!
I heard about this book from a friend who lived next door to Janet and Fran on Normandy Lane in Los Altos Hills. Her son and Janet's were close friends. She personally saw and felt the anguish the family went through. The book was an unsettling look into the risk one takes in going out on San Francisco Bay for a "fun day of fishing". The author's ability to place the reader on the actual boat as it sank was so real. His ability to tell a story while engaging and educating the reader was overwhelming. I highly recommend this book.
Jay Jacobs has done an expert job of blending a courtroom drama with a tragic accident at sea, the cause of which most likely will never be known. The courtroom battle has a David and Goliath “feel” Mr. Jacobs has taken on the biggest case of his career to date with a strong likelihood of loosing. And in loosing, he will damage his own career and the future of the defendant’s wife, Mrs. Dowd. But Mrs. Dowd is adamant that she will not settle out of court and will see the trial through to the end, no matter what that may be. In understanding the cause of the accident, she hopes to absolve her husband of any negligence. And maybe ease the pain of not only her husband’s death but her 19 year old son’s death too. The characters that come into play are vividly described by the author. The pondering judge, supremely confident plaintiff’s lawyer, a reticent crusty skipper and overly-enthusiastic expert witness are all thrown into the mix where the jury must find a corroborating detail to absolve or convict Mr. Dowd of negligence.
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