Working the
night shift as a temp in a high-rise cubicle, Erik Orton knew something
had to change. He felt the responsibility of providing for his wife and
their five children the youngest with Down syndrome but craved a life
that offered more than just surviving.
Watching the sailboats on the Hudson River during his sunset dinner breaks, Erik dared to dream. What would it be like to leave the hustle of the city and instead spend a year on a sailboat, somewhere beautiful, as a family? Despite having no sailing experience, his wife Emily s phobia of deep water, and already stretching every dollar to pay rent and buy groceries, the family of seven turned their excuses into reasons and their fears into motivation. Sure, they would miss their friends, they could go broke, they could get injured or die. Worst of all, they could humiliate themselves by trying something audacious and failing. But the little time they still had together as a family, before their oldest daughter left for college, was drifting away. The Ortons cast off the life they knew to begin an uncertain journey of 5,000 miles between New York City and the Caribbean, ultimately arriving at a new place within themselves.
A portrait of a captivating and resilient family and a celebration of the courage it takes to head for something over the horizon, this is a deeply compelling story told alternately by Erik and Emily for all those who dream of leaving routine in their wake.
Watching the sailboats on the Hudson River during his sunset dinner breaks, Erik dared to dream. What would it be like to leave the hustle of the city and instead spend a year on a sailboat, somewhere beautiful, as a family? Despite having no sailing experience, his wife Emily s phobia of deep water, and already stretching every dollar to pay rent and buy groceries, the family of seven turned their excuses into reasons and their fears into motivation. Sure, they would miss their friends, they could go broke, they could get injured or die. Worst of all, they could humiliate themselves by trying something audacious and failing. But the little time they still had together as a family, before their oldest daughter left for college, was drifting away. The Ortons cast off the life they knew to begin an uncertain journey of 5,000 miles between New York City and the Caribbean, ultimately arriving at a new place within themselves.
A portrait of a captivating and resilient family and a celebration of the courage it takes to head for something over the horizon, this is a deeply compelling story told alternately by Erik and Emily for all those who dream of leaving routine in their wake.
Review:
Wow. Just. Wow. I can't even imagine leaving my comfortable life to go live on a sailboat for a year. Probably because I'm really paranoid about one of my kids drowning, and mostly because of seasickness and I don't handle puking at all. (Yes, seasickness tops drowning because I have more faith in my kids learning how to swim well than I do my being able to handle puking.) There is nothing at all similar with me and the Orton family. First off, living in (and liking!) New York City. Second, being brave enough to give up everything for a year to sail. While I can't quite wrap my mind around the desire to do something like that, I can definitely admire it. Their whole family went through so much trial and error, joy, calamity, you name it, in the year they were gone. I'm sure they all grew so much in that short time. It took me a little while to get into the book, but about 1/3rd of the way through I was hooked, and finished it in just a few days. I've been to a few of the islands that they visited, so it was fun to read about their experiences there while reminiscing about the fun times I had on those same islands. If you're the adventurous type (or even if you're not,) this is an entertaining book to read. Erik and Emily are very conscientious about family togetherness and I can get behind that 100%. We may not live the same lifestyle, but there are so many things that we can agree on.
Title: Seven at Sea
Author: Erik Orton & Emily Orton
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: March 2019
ISBN: 162972551X
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Purchase: Amazon Deseret Book
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