Suzanne
Rating:
Review
There's a lot to like about this true story and I really enjoyed it. The author's brand new marriage takes center stage; their long "honeymoon" sailing around the Pacific on a small sailboat serves as the backdrop. I was impressed with Esarey's raw honesty about their interactions and emotions as they got used to being married to each other. She often made me raise an eyebrow or two, which was fun. Their unromantic engagement story and how she felt about it is one example (and Janna, if you ever read this, know that you are not alone!). I have a lot of respect for her having the nerve to follow her dream instead of doing what other people expected of her. I was shocked at how little she knew about sailing when they set out, too. She drew me in even further with her reflections on the vastly different cultures they encountered on tiny islands throughout the Pacific and the challenges of connecting with people from different cultures. She's also very clear about how cheap she and her hubby had to be to make this two-year sailing trip happen – an aspect that made me glad I was just an armchair traveler for this one. This is a splendid read all around. I don't sail, but I imagine that if you do that aspect of the story would be icing on the cake.
Best Line:
"When did I become such a stressed-out whacko?" (pg. 6)
Kim
Rating:
Review
Ms. Cawrse Esarey and her husband, Graeme, are living in Seattle when they decide to set sail across the Pacific Ocean, and follow the natural line of volcanoes around the Pacific known as the Ring of Fire. No simply journey on many levels. They buy a 35 foot sailboat named Dragonfly, quit their jobs, leave family, friends and their dog, who, coincidentally, will pee on command like my dog learned to do, and go on a 17,000 mile, 2 year honeymoon. The author's vivid imagery frequents many passages and she is generous with it, as in the time she describes a cock fight in the Philippines, and another time when she compares owning a Dale Chihuly vase to the amazing scenery 24/7 while crossing the Pacific. I very much enjoyed the author recounting for us those 2 years when she learned scads about sailing and being in a marriage, and the amazing number of parallels between both
Best Line:
"We hang our hot shower bag from the mast, stand on the overturned dinghy stored on deck, and suds up in front of the Father, the sun, and the holey boxers."
