from BWB for a tag

Excellent book about sailing a clipper ship from New York to San Francisco. The writer did a lot of research before writing the book and it shows in the intricate detail. You feel that you're really on the ship and know what has to be done in the varying weather during the 4+ months it takes to sail from the July summer in New York, to the harsh winter elements around Cape Horn, and into the fall elements of San Francisco. During the voyage, the first mate inspires mutiny and in held in chains, locked in the storeroom for the remainder of the voyage. Then the Captain falls deathly ill, leaving a good, but illiterate, second mate in charge of the ship. The only one with the navigation knowledge of the sextant, and the ability to read the maps and texts that it takes to plot the ship's course, is the Captain's wife, Mary. So Mary, plus the second mate, Hare, essentially continue to effectively lead the crew from the southeastern portion of South America, around Cape Horn, and up the Pacific into San Francisco effectively. And Mary is pregnant and continuing to nurse her husband too. What an experience for a 19 year old girl!

A tagged book. I'm glad I ordered and read it first - it was a great read that I never would have found otherwise. Great wishlist choice! Enjoy.

Thanks for the tag! Looking forward to reading this.