Shanghaied

In the fall of 1810, Eamon* McGrath wakes up in the hold of a ship far out at sea, stolen from his New England life and family. A merchant ship has shanghaied him, Sam, Coop and Jack to replace crew lost when boarded at sea by the British Navy. Jack, already a sailor, helps the others get their sea legs and withstand the near-slavery of a sailor's life. As Eamon circles the globe, he suffers a terrible beating, storms, the cat-o'-nine tails, and shipwreck. He is schooled in all things nautical, makes and loses friends, and joins the brotherhood of the sea.

Betrayed by life, Eamon's bitterness nearly blinds him until he finally finds the beauty of this planet undeniable and essential. His adventure is a hero's journey. Profoundly changed, what will he find if he makes it home again?

I wrote the first chapter of this book as an exercise for a writing class. That chapter "sat in a drawer" for fifteen years while life ensued. Picking the story up after my wife died, chapters appeared on the page that surprised me until I realized that I was writing about a character stolen from his life when my life felt stolen from me. I didn't know how either of us would find our way back from "out there," from horizons of grief.

As a lifelong sailor, I thank voyaging for the metaphors and perspectives it gives and as a widower, I navigate through a very changed life. But we all face change and loss. Feeling "at sea" and making your way "back" can be a hero/heroine's journey for anyone. The winds are with you sometimes and other times against. Sometimes you are beaten and others you are loved. When you're lucky, beauty finds you.

If I write my experiences down as memoir, the story is about me. But when I spin them into this tale and these characters, this story may be about all of us.