After hanging in mid-air for a split-second, our canoe drops hard. Immediate primal fears, heightened by expedition tensions and summer's heat, grip us. We are descending out of control and into the core of a forty-foot whirlpool. The bow bends as if to be ripped asunder. Did we cheat death on Winnie's six-foot waves in near freezing waters and survive terrifying games of chicken played by towboat operators only to go down in a peril equal to Dante's inner circle? Mighty Miss' edge-of-death experiences mingle with portraits of sandy beaches; a Robinson Crusoe island; magnificent sunrises; close-up encounters with loons making their evening call; slam dancing carp, lips pulsating to pass brethren mosh-pit style; and fishermen and faith filled river people sharing intimate and uplifting stories. The ecstasy of nature's beauties and the excitement of survival make Mighty Miss a timeless and riveting Mississippi memoir.