LONGMEADOW — Before becoming an author, Michael Tougias grew up in Longmeadow. On Jan. 8, he will return to the town to give a presentation on his book, “Extreme Survival: Lessons from Those Who Have Triumphed Against All Odds,” at the Longmeadow Adult Center.
The title of Tougias’ book sums up many of the stories he has written: ordinary people finding the strength to persevere in unimaginable circumstances. While some of his books are novels, travel books and memoirs, the majority are narrative non-fiction books about survival in an array situations, from shipwrecks to frozen mountainsides, to New England during war in the late 17th century.
The Adult Center selected “Extreme Survival” for Tougias to give a presentation about. The 2022 book is a compilation of stories and first-hand accounts. What keeps Tougias coming back to survival stories is the sheer inconceivability of the situations and how inspirational the people who survive them are. “Sharing a little-known story … you’d never believe you could get a 60-foot wave 100 miles off Cape Cod, and you’d never believe someone could survive in November the whole time,” he said, referencing his book, “Fatal Forecast: A True Story of Courage in a Savage Storm.”
A prolific writer, Tougias has penned more than 35 books, both those written for adults and his “True Rescue Series” for middle readers.
“My mantra is the same for every book, and that’s make it fast-paced. And I do, whether it’s for adults or middle readers,” Tougias said.
Writing for two very different age groups requires Tougias to keep his audience in mind when telling a story, especially ones that involve death. When writing for young people, he said, “I don’t sugar coat it, but with the adult version I’ll go more in depth.”
In August, Tougias published one of his most recent books for young people, “Ochala and the Pilgrims.” The book is a historical fiction novel from the point of view of a 10-year-old Wampanoag boy who plays a role in relations between his people and the newly arrived Pilgrims.
When completing research for the book, Tougias said he interviewed Native Americans to learn from their oral histories. He said all authors use the same historical documents and the written accounts are often incomplete.
“It’s almost like back then, they never wanted to give credit to what the natives did,” Tougias said, “so I figured, tell it from their point-of-view.”
Tougias said the book brought him “full circle.” In 2000, Tougias and Eric Schultz co-wrote “King Philips War,” titled after the conflict of the late 1670s. A decade ago, he wrote another novel, “Until I have No Country,” about the same hostilities.
The research process for books that focus on the colonial era involves a lot of archival records, whereas the research for many of his survival stories allows him to interview the people who were there or those who knew them. When writing about the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, Tougias was able to speak to the last living pilot from that confrontation.
Tougias travels around the country delivering presentations like the one he will give in Longmeadow. He said people always ask questions, but added, “Every now and then, someone will want to share stories from their own lives, and I just let them.”
Chronicling the experiences of people who have survived the unthinkable has taught Tougias life lessons. One of those lessons came from Ernie Hazard, who survived 90-100-foot waves in a small life raft. “Whenever he did something right, he’d say aloud, ‘Good job, Ernie. Now keep going.’”
Tougias said people assume “the best survivors are super positive. Not always.” Instead, he said, they are the ones who focus on one person to live for, someone who needs them. He said survivors sometimes go on to achieve remarkable accomplishments in life. He cited John McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner of war for more than five years but went on to become a U.S. senator and run for president.
“People can have post-traumatic stress [disorder], but it doesn’t mean your life is over,” Tougias said. Thinking back on the incredible challenges people have overcome, he said, “It helps you keep perspective.”
