Customer Reviews

The Voyage of the Northern Magic: A Family Odyssey

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When we read this book we were carried away to the ends of the earth. When we finished it, we said it could be done. Its a year later and our family has taken sone sailing lessons. This summer we are chartering a boat in the Carribean. By next summer we will own our own boat. For our family, the adventure began with this book. How can we thank you?

I received the 'Northern Magic' for Christmas and I managed to met Diane Stuemer this past winter at the Toronto Boat Show ... I even got the book autographed. Her book was an excellent armchair sailor read but she definitely has the gift in public speaking. I also recently found out that she died of cancer .... I must admit that I did shed a tear or two when I heard that.

Join in on a three year experience cruising around the world with three children. After reading a good review of the book and being new to sailing with children of the same age I thought this would be a good read. I have since been unable to put the book down, it has been uplifting to read about a family simmilar to my own living through extreme experiences. A lit bit of cruising, a lit more about traveling and experiences and even more about a family living an extreme experience together for three years.

This is one of the best travel and adventure books I have ever read.The author has such a superb command of the English language that she literally brings this exciting voyage alive in the reader's mind. While the author's vivid description of the various countries she and her family visited, and the people and friends they met, was most interesting and highly educational, I personally was particularly fascinated with the episodes at sea both on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The description of every aspect of their long voyage had such an impact on my mind that I actually found myself experiencing everything the family was being subjected to on the high seas; the gigantic waves crashing into the side of the boat and attemtpting to push the Northern Magic off its established course, the cold and huge waves splashing over Diane and her husband Herbert as they attempted to keep their boat on course;their constant struggle to survive in spite of periods of sea-sickness, long periods in the cockpit without eating a proper meal, their very real concern for the safety of their boys and the boat, which often required immediate attention by Herbert to fix the engine, the sails, the mast, untangle the propellor and so forth, really increased the flow of adrenelin in my body.

I highly recommend this book to all those who enjoy the spirit of adventure and wish to have a realistic experience of such a fantastic voyage. The information covering the visits to the various countries is highly educational and most enjoyable. The Stuemer family left the Ottawa area as novices and returned as seasoned sailors.

I loved reading "The Voyage of the Northern Magic" not just for its quality as a wonderful sailing tale, but also for the inspiration it lends readers. The author and her husband both had life-altering experiences which convinced them to realize their dream of sailing around the world rather than continue in an average suburban life. Their tale of sailing with their three boys around the world is inspiring, both for the get-up-and-go message as well as their involvement with local projects. It is also a thought-provoking book in that you as the reader turn the pages knowing that the author succumbed to cancer shortly after writing her book; for me, this was not just a sad truth but a nudge for me to consider how I choose to spend my own time. I have only one criticism of the tale which was the family's forays into truly dangerous situations and places, such as their Yemen episode and their method of dealing with the threat of pirates. Still, this does not take away from a fantastic read, and the author is honest and straight-forward in reflecting on her choices as a parent. As a sailor, mother, and author myself, I highly recommend this book.
By Nadine Slavinski, author of "Lesson Plans Ahoy! Hands-on learning for sailing children and home schooling sailors."Lesson Plans Ahoy!: Hands-on learning for sailing children and home schooling sailors

Excellent book and an easy read. This book is inspiring to anyone who has a dream. Read it not only for the sailing circumnavagation but also for the human family experience. Diane writes of her family's struggles, challenges, joys, and love as they follow a dream. It is sad to know that she had such a zest for living and love for her family only to have her life cut short at such a young age. Read it and be inspired. Read it and reflect. Read it and dream.

This is a great story of a family adventure. I loved the people involved & the places they went. Worth reading if you are looking for a family sailing adventure or just a touching story. I liked "just cruising" & "More Cruising" slightly better but I don't think you can go wrong with any of these.

This book pulls you into to a great family adventure - where you get to share in the experience of seeing the world thru the eyes of a gifted journalist - Diane. I was touched by the vastness of their experiences and the courage to push thru the many trials at sea. As an avid traveler who has taken 6 months off with family to enjoy a similar (albeit - less trying) experience, this book was a great parallel in many ways. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has dreamed of seeing the world - after reading this book - you just might take the final step and do it!

I found the title of this book should have been reversed, "A Family Odyssey:The Voyage of the Northern Magic" because the author deals more with the trials and tribulations of family life. To be sure, the story is fantastic, but the way it is presented may not appeal to the tastes of all readers. I would classify this book as "motivational non-fiction" not "adventure travel". It dealt well with the emotional trials of the trip but I found it was over-dramatized and didn't fulfill my expectations.

I found the title of this book should have been reversed, "A Family Odyssey:The Voyage of the Northern Magic" because the author deals more with the trials and tribulations of family life. To be sure, the story is fantastic, but the way it is presented may not appeal to the tastes of all readers. I would classify this book as "motivational non-fiction" not "adventure travel". It dealt well with the emotional trials of the trip but I found it was over-dramatized and didn't fulfill my expectations. Not a bad book, but definitely not for everyone.