"A new memoir, “Fishing with Hyenas,” tells the story of trading in one life for another after falling in love.

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Area writer Theresa Mathews said she didn’t expect her life to turn out the way it did. She fell in love with commercial fisherman Captain Bart and headed out onto the water. She spent 300 days on the boat. Those days were filled with physical challenges and emotions that came from being confined on a tuna boat, she said.

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She said the adventure challenged her more than she expected.

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Mathews started writing her memoir in 1999. Then, when she was about one-third of the way through, Bart died. Dealing with the grief of losing her partner meant the story changed, and his death weaved its way into the book.

So while the story deals with fishing and being out on the water, it also tells a love story and tackles loss and surviving grief.

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“Most people will be able to relate to it on some level,” Mathews said.

She said people will also find it fascinating to learn what exactly goes into bringing tuna to the table.

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Most people don’t know what life is like on commercial fishing boats or what it actually takes to catch the fish that people eat for dinner, she said.

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Mathews said writing is her creative outlet and uses journaling as a way to get out her thoughts and creativity.

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“I learned so much in writing,” she said.