INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

"Live to See the Day documents seemingly impossible missions undertaken by impassioned devotees. . . . While the book is full of thrilling adventures in pursuit of lofty goals, it also explores why humans bother with quixotic quests. Live to See the Day is a reminder of the unconventional paths we can follow, and the legacies we build, with a little help from our friends.”
—Christina Tommasone, Literary Review of Canada

“Medley, a journalist with a sharp eye for scene and character . . . illuminates what it means to hold on to faith in an outcome that is unlikely, distant, or likely to stay unfinished. . . . Live to See the Day, at its core, is a meditation on mortality. Human life is limited by time, yet people are oddly reluctant to restrict their ambitions within its bounds. We build, restore, protect, write, teach and imagine toward futures we may never see."
—Chris Reed, Seabord Review of Books

"Medley’s accounts of generation-spanning projects are inherently interesting, and made all the more so by his skills as a journalist and eye to telling a story and emphasizing the humanity—and human-ness—of those whose stories he tells. . . . In an era of internet-addicted, self-obsessed individualists prone to instant gratification, Medley’s work reminds us of the power and beauty and necessity of the slow burn—the very, very, very slow burn—and the long shot—the very, very, very long shot. That is a gift, and one that might even outlast him."
—David Moscrop, Globe and Mail

"There is a wonderful yearning at the heart of Mark Medley's book. He beautifully catalogues a range of people who strive for something they may never achieve but find meaning in the effort. At its heart, Live to See the Day is a brilliant study of the very nature of how we live our lives and find purpose in our days."
—Susan Orlean, bestselling author of Joyride and The Library Book

"Mark Medley is a revelation. I was transported by these stories, not realizing just how ravenous I was for a book about hope against the odds. But it is the personal aspect of how the stories are told that really cinches it. Fans of Bill Bryson's travelogues will find that Medley delivers a familiar mix of affability, curiosity, and information here, though the journey takes place both on the ground and conceptually onward, past the limits of what is possible. As I read it, I felt lifted, I felt that good things were worth doing, and I felt that Mark Medley's career in journalism is about to be eclipsed by his career as an author."
—Kate Beaton, bestselling author of Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands