The Motion of the Ocean
“This highly entertaining debut memoir follows thirty-something journalist Esarey and her new husband, Graeme, on a 17,000-mile journey around the Pacific Ocean in their small sailboat. Before they leave, countless married friends tell them, "If your relationship can survive this, it can survive anything." It doesn’t take the nautically challenged Esarey long to realize just how true the warning is. A well-written, rollicking high-seas adventure, this will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good love story.”
“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.”
- LOUISA ERMELINO, Publishers Weekly, Favorite Summer Reads
“Janna Cawrse Esarey and her boyfriend Graeme had an on-again-off-again relationship for a decade. Finally, they decide that a big part of their problem is the stress of their 9 to 5 jobs. So the two decide to make the radical decision to quit, get married and take off on a two-year honeymoon, sailing across the Pacific Ocean. Sound romantic? It is, lots of times. But it isn't always smooth sailing for this couple. This memoir is perfect for any readers out there who have ever fantasized about sailing away from all their problems.”
- JOHN SEARLES, The Today Show
“Unconventional twists on love and family. When Janna Cawrse Esarey and her on-again, off-again boyfriend hit a roadblock in their relationship, they decided to quit their jobs, get married, and sail around the world. The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers and a Woman’s Search for the Meaning of Wife is Esarey’s account of her experience as a novice sailor and new bride, cash-strapped but rich in love and convinced that
life should be an adventure.”
- Parade Magazine, Parade Picks
In this new memoir, Esarey recounts a honeymoon that was anything but normal: she and her hubby set sail for an 18-month adventure, making stops at some postcard-perfect South Pacific Islands. Yet the lessons she learns while sharing a 35-foot boat with her new husband are hilarious, poignant and completely relatable.
- LINLEY TABER, The Frisky, CNN.com
“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, New York Times bestselling author of
Bitter is the New Black (and its numerous sequels)
“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
“My bookshelves are full of adventure and survival stories about cruising sailors. Often, relationships are featured, but never quite in Janna’s way. This contribution to the genre brings an edgy, unique style and badass sense of humor. Her fine wit colors universally real reflections on married life . . . . It is a tale for all land and sea lovers fantasizing about perfect life passages with the ideal mate.”
- TANIA AEBI, author of Maiden Voyage
and 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. . . The 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 Cruising Companion and sail-training leaders of Mahina Expeditions
“A wealth of intriguing experiences. . . Esarey ably brings to life remote isles and customs—particularly those in the South Pacific—most readers will never see.”
- Kirkus Reviews
