At 18, working in a dead-end job in the Caribbean and looking for a way to fund his university study, Gantos was made an offer he didn't refuse. As crew of a yacht loaded with hashish, it was the opportunity for unimagined wealth and high adventure. What eventuated was a saga of incompetence, double-cross, inevitable capture and a tough New York jail. A salutary lesson about the choices you make and learning the hard way, this true story is a riveting read for teenagers. (Gantos writes the funny, yet poignant, Joey Pigza books.)