Keeping Ahead of Winter: 4100 Nautical Miles Inside America

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Summary: Very exciting true story
Review: I found this book to be very interesting. I admired the author, who learned how to handle and live on a boat. It was well written -- a "page turner".

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Summary: Sailing On in Keeping Ahead of Winter...
Review: Life is a journey. Ruth Silnes' journey is both literal and metaphoric as she honeymoons on a yacht with her husband Torger in KEEPING AHEAD OF WINTER -4100 NAUTICAL MILES INSIDE AMERICA. Using the trip's logs and her memory, Silnes recreates the adventure and romance of her honeymoon in 1965.

The trip tested and strengthened her love for Torger. Clearly she remembers her husband and their growth together fondly.

The memoir describes the events factually. Author and illustrator Ruth Silnes recreates the story as it happened rather than reflecting it or reshaping it. Her descriptive phrases bring settings and struggles to life.

KEEPING AHEAD OF WINTER would be of particular interest to yachtsmen, wannabe boaters, and vicarious travelers. In addition it should appeal to anyone interested in life's journey as seen through the eyes of an adventurer starting the second half of her life.

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Summary: A wonderful life changing story
Review: The book is the story of woman in midlife who begins an exciting new adventure with her new husband. Together they live out a dream of sailing the inland passage in their new boat. The character and relationship development while under the intense pressure of piloting a boat are fascinating, as are their hair raising adventures. I couldn't put the book down!

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Summary: Maybe life really does begin at 50
Review: This book is far more than an exciting account of the author's sailboat journey from Chicago to Florida's Gulf coast. Its second theme, the inner journey she takes while adjusting to life with her new husband (and learning how to be "first mate" on a 38-foot sailing yacht!), is such a perfect match for the more obvious one that I would hesitate to designate one as primary and the other as secondary. Along the way Ruth and Torger Silnes learn many things about their country, but Ruth learns just as many about herself.

This is a well-told story of a woman's transition from her life's first half to its second, rich in detail and emotion. It deserves to be read. Do give it a try!