* A NATIONAL BESTSELLER * GOODREADS MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF SUMMER 2025 *TOWN & COUNTRYBEST BOOK OF SUMMER 2025 *

A former Obama speechwriter moves to the Jersey Shore and learns to surf with the help of his brother-in-law: a tattooed, truck-driving Joe Rogan superfan.

David, the Yale-educated writer with a fear of sharks, and Matt, the daredevil electrician with a shed full of surfboards, had never been close. But as Americas crises piled up and David spiraled into existential dread, he noticed that his brother-in-law was thriving. He began to suspect Matts favorite hobby had something to do with it.

David started taking surf lessons. For months, he wiped out on waves the height of daffodils. Yet, after realizing that surfing could change him both in and out of the water, he set an audacious goal: riding a big wave in Hawaii. He searched for an expert he could trust to guide and protect himand when he couldnt find one, he asked Matt. Together, they set out on a journey that spanned coasts, and even continents, before taking them to Oahus famously dangerous North Shore.

Its Only Drowningis a laugh-out-loud love letter to surfingand so much more. Its an ode to embarking on adventures at any age. Its a blueprint for becoming braver at a time when it takes courage just to read the news. Most of all, its the story of an unlikely friendship, one that crosses the fault lines of education, ideology, and culture tearing so many of us apart.