Sailing to Simplicity: Life Lessons Learned at Sea

With short stories, Migael Scherer takes you into the world of sailing. As a sailor, I find her way of capturing the simple essense of sailing and cruising, and the many experiences that go with it, and gently teasing a lesson from those experiences, a joy.

As a novice to sailing in the Puget Sound, with a desire to sail the fabled inside passage to Alaska described here, my wife and I enjoyed this book immensely. Migael Scherer's tales of the bears, the dangers of the wild, the water and weather obstacles, the pleasures of living aboard, and her efforts to wrestle with her own ghosts from a brutal rape and the loss of a close friend to cancer - create a carefully woven story that draws to the heroine's conclusion as the race comes to a close.The analogies she draws between the bears, from Indian lore and her observations are wonderful - as is her experience of living in Alaska. We can't all get up there, but from the wonderful telling of her adventure, we can get close to the real southern Alaska environment. Both my wife and I enjoyed Migaels' insights into the sail regatta. It's a very gentle adventure that's either an easy weekend read, or can be enjoyed over many a drizzly evening in Seattle. A great gift for the sailor - one men will enjoy and the ladies will applaud.