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The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife
 
 
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The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife [Paperback]

Janna Cawrse Esarey (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 2, 2009
The humorous true story of a woman who abandons her tidy life to honeymoon across the Pacific on a leaky, old boat—only to find that sailing 17,000 miles is easier than keeping her relationship off the rocks.

“Somewhere fifty miles off the coast of oregon i realize the skipper of this very small ship is an asshole. he also happens to be my husband.”

While most thirty-somethings are climbing the corporate ladder or popping out babies, Janna Cawrse and her boyfriend Graeme take a different tack: they quit their jobs, tie the knot, and embark on a most unusual honeymoon cruise—813 days across the Pacific Ocean on a beat-up old sailboat. Their goal? Relaxation and relationship therapy. But the passage from First Date to First Mate is anything but smooth sailing. From the craggy Pacific Northwest coast to the tropical isles of Polynesia to the bustling ports of Asia, Janna and Graeme must share everything: rations of Top Ramen, sailboat sewage duty, a boat the size of a bedroom, and every minute of every day. They realize: If their marriage can survive this, it can survive anything! Like all great love stories, Janna and Graeme encounter storms and disasters along the way…and plenty of reasons for make-up sex. And they discover intimate secrets about each other, difficult truths about love, and skills they’ll need to keep their boat—and their relationship—afloat. Written in the style of popular travelogues by J. Maarten Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals) and Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), Janna Cawrse Esarey gives readers a satisfying mix of soul-searching and romantic comedy while she seeks to answer this crucial question: When the waters get rough, will she—a novice sailor and spouse—abandon ship? Or will she learn to navigate the world—and the one relationship that will teach her about sex, love, and the meaning of “wife”?

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Editorial Reviews

Review

This highly entertaining debut memoir follows Esarey and her new husband on a 17,000-mile journey around the Pacific Ocean.... A well-written, rollicking high-seas adventure, this will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good love story.

--Library Journal (added by author)

"Equipped with nothing but an old boat and a new marriage, Janna Cawrse Esarey recounts her two and a half years at sea with wry humor, keen observations, and descriptions vivid enough to satisfy even the most seasoned traveler. As Janna and her husband cross the globe, they learn that sometimes relationships are the trickiest waters...yet all storms can be weathered with enough courage and determination. The Motion of the Ocean is the quintessential summer read for anyone seeking an adventure in life, love, or self-discovery."-- Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter is the New Black

"Most of us would love to quit our jobs and sail across the globe, but very few of us have the guts -- or the sea legs. Fortunately for us armchair adventurers, Janna Cawrse Esarey not only took this journey, she took great notes. The result is a funny, honest tale of how one woman found her comfort zone -- with the sea, with herself, and with the notion of happily ever after."-- Michelle Goodman, author of My So-Called Freelance Life and The Anti 9-to-5 Guide

"I didn't think it was possible to write a 'new' cruising yarn. However, Janna Cawrse Esarey has done it -- from a female sailor's perspective. This isn't a story of a cruise; it is an insightfully-written story of a maturing relationship. Best of all, her pen is as sharp as her wit. She pulls no punches. I laughed and cried -- and saw myself on every page."-- Cap'n Fatty Goodlander, Editor-at-Large of Cruising World magazine

"An edgy, unique style and badass sense of humor."-- Tania Aebi, author of Maiden Voyage and the First American Woman and Youngest Person to Sail Around the World Alone

"On her honeymoon Janna Cawrse Esarey and her fisherman husband set sail in pursuit of her childhood dream....Motion of the Ocean is a fresh and honest story on many levels. It's an entertaining read for those who enjoy a voyaging story or are contemplating an adventure, though in the end it's not about achieving the sailing dream -- it's a love story in which Janna discovers how to live and enjoy life."-- Amanda Swan Neal and John Neal, authors of The Offshore Crusising Companion

"Love at sea was the idea when Esarey and her newly minted husband decided to honeymoon in a beat-up old sailboat on a trip across the Pacific. Eight hundred and thirteen hilarious, treacherous and, yes, romantic days later, she comes to some serious conclusions. Let's just say you'll be wildly entertained and glad to be on solid ground." -- Publisher's Weekly, “Favorite Reads for the Summer” (2009)

From the Inside Flap

Author's Note
There are three things you should know before reading this book:
  1. This is not an old mariner's sea story that ends with us in a life raft, bending earrings for fishhooks and contemplating eating each other's limbs. Rather, this is an adventure love story that happens to take place on a very small sailboat. If that's not your cup of tea, please, for your sake, go fish.
  2. My husband will tell you I have a very shrewd memory...particularly when it comes to his past missteps. But, in reality, my memory is just as good or bad as anyone else's. And so, while all of the following events really did happen, I have taken liberty with some details, always with the goal of revealing what sailing into the sunset is really like. Where the narrative required, I have consolidated conversations, events, and time. Most boat names, people names, and incriminating details are real except for a few cases, where they've been changed to respect people's privacy.
  3. Despite appearances, my name is actually very easy to pronounce: Janna Cawrse Esarey "banana" "of course" "yesiree." Graeme's name is easy, too--like "graham cracker."

Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (June 2, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416589082
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416589082
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janna Cawrse Esarey is the author of the bestselling travel memoir, THE MOTION OF THE OCEAN: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, & a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife (Simon & Schuster). A Publisher's Weekly summer fave, Today Show rec, & Parade pick, it's the humorous, true story of a woman who sails into the sunset on her honeymoon--only to find her relationship heading for the rocks. Or, as Library Journal put it, "a rollicking high-seas adventure [for] anyone who enjoys a good love story." Janna was a 2008 Jack Straw fellow and blogs about work-life-love balance for the Seattle P-I at Happily Even After. She loves sushi, dark beer, and Skyping with book clubs.

 

Customer Reviews

108 Reviews
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4 star:
 (13)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
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1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (108 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Summer Read, June 2, 2009
This review is from: The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife (Paperback)
The Motion of the Ocean is an entertaining, thought-provoking memoir of a woman's voyage, both across the Pacific Ocean and through the inevitable ebbs and flows of marriage. Throughout the book, the author tackles some of the "big questions" that many couples face when trying to figure out how to be an `us.' From encounters with local islanders to frighteningly vivid descriptions of thunderstorms out at sea, to poignant reflections on an island's cross-dressing subculture, The Motion of the Ocean is at times serious, at times humorous, and always witty and thoughtful. If you like books that make you laugh, make you think, inspire you to see your relationships in new ways, and open windows into worlds you might never have a chance to see, then you'll love The Motion of the Ocean.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars So much more than a sailing story!, May 27, 2009
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This review is from: The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife (Paperback)
The Motion of the Ocean is a smart, funny, fascinating read for all of us land-lubbers who are too scared to sail the south pacific with our newly-wed spouse. Janna Cawrse Esarey is as honest, witty, and appealing as writers come. She never shies away from revealing the ups and downs of her own personal shortcomings, her ruminations about love and marriage, the challenges of travel, or the search for The One. This book is SUCH a pleasure to read, equally fun to discuss with book groups, girl friends, and husbands. Made me laugh out loud over and over, but there's nothing fluffy about this poignant, thought-provoking memoir. Much more than just a summer read . . . one to buy for your girlfriends!
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing read, June 18, 2009
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This review is from: The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife (Paperback)
Once I started reading this book, I was not able to put it down. As fiction it would still be great but the fact that it's a true story (a true story!!!) makes it all the more wonderful. Janna Cawrse Esarey is a wonderful writer who makes me think, laugh, and want to have a glass of wine with her. Her comments on relationships definitely hit home for someone at a similar age and place in life, but what I most loved was her ability to tie all of their adventures together and interrelate the stories. This goes on my Christmas shopping list for all of my girlfriends!
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