An epic sailing adventure: Ready to Come About by Sue Williams

Ready to Come About by Sue Williams

“Three hundred nautical miles from shore, I’m cold and sick and afraid. I pray for reprieve. I long for solid ground. And I can‘t help but ask myself, What the hell was I thinking?”

When Sue Williams set sail for the North Atlantic, it wasn’t a mid-life crisis. She had no affinity for the sea. And she didn’t have an adventure-seeking bone in her body.

In the wake of a perfect storm of personal events, it suddenly became clear: her sons were adults now; they needed freedom to figure things out for themselves; she had to get out of their way. And it was now or never for her husband, David, to realize his dream to cross an ocean. So she’d go too.

Ready to Come About is the story of a mother’s improbable adventure on the high seas and her profound journey within, through which she grew to believe that there is no gift more precious than the liberty to chart one’s own course, and that risk is a good thing … sometimes, at least.

Note: Sue will be the guest speaker for the Writing Personal Stories class, Tuesday afternoons, April 13 – June 22. See here.  

“An entertaining, deceptively profound memoir. I love Sue’s book, a startling, swashbuckling sea adventure, and all the hilarious and terrifying details of that, combined with the very personal story of lost connections and deep love. It is a remarkable story — heroic and inspiring.” ~Miriam Toews, author of Women Talking, All My Puny Sorrows, A Complicated Kindness and other acclaimed novels

“A thrilling adventure, a profound love story, and a testament of self-discovery that will make you cheer. It is not only an empowering memoir, but also a very fine book.” ~Barbara Kyle, author of The Traitor’s Daughter and numerous other novels

“There’s an art to telling an epic tale, and Sue Williams does it with an engaging mix of sensitivity, humour, and aplomb. She spins a tale that intertwines the nuances of family dynamics with the ostensibly straightforward challenges of taking on nature. In each of these domains, she succeeds, making this a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read. In my experience, most books documenting epic journeys leave me feeling that I am reading about superhuman people who are vastly superior to me, and certainly more capable than I could ever be. In this book, however, Sue demonstrates the potential for heroism, growth, and insight in all of us, and does so in ways that we, the non-super humans, can relate to. Ready to Come About may well be your elusive “pleasant surprise” read for 2019.” ~ Rob Simpson, Goodreads

Ready to Come About is available through Dundurn Press here.

For information about submitting to Dundurn Press, see here.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including online and in-person writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Southampton, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.