Adventure on the High Seas

When mild-mannered personal chef Owen Wedgewood is violently kidnapped by pirate queen Mad Hannah Mabbot from his late benefactor's residence in 1800s England, he's in for a wild ride aboard The Flying Rose, where he is forced to create exceptional meals with scant ingredients in exchange for his continued survival.  Told through Wedgewood's diary, Eli Brown's Cinnamon and Gunpowder sees our protagonist confront his own shortcomings and prejudices as he slowly assimilates (kicking and screaming) into the pirate crew and becomes closer to the fearsome Captain Mabbot, who is busy trying to upset the entire opium trade and catch her nemesis, The Brass Fox.  HM

a sea voyage

Michael Ondaatje is prolific,he has written five novels,a memoir, poetry and non-fiction. His book The English Patient won the Booker Prize and was made into a wonderful film. His new novel, The Cat's Table, is the story of an ocean crossing in the fifties, from the viewpoint of an eleven-year old boy. "As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship,it tells a spellbinding story about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood."(Book Jacket) I have read many novels by this author, my favorite is In the Skin of a Lion, with some of the most beautiful descriptions I have ever read. M.L.

Exploring the Mitten

You don't have to travel very far to find interesting destinations. Off the Beaten Path: Michigan provides lots of unique places for you to explore, grouped by area. Among them: the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, Abbott's Magic Manufacturing Company in Colon, and Kitch-Iti-Kipi near Manistique (the state's largest natural spring). We have a wonderful variety of entertaining options within our own state!

thinking about the past

Dancing Backwards by Sally Vickers. Violet Hethrington is traveling by ship from London to New York. She's going to visit a dear friend from her past who she feels she betrayed some years before. On the long trip she reflects about her past, her dead husband, her abusive first love and her life in general. She meets many characters on board that help her with this process. This novel is quietly intelligent and explores love, loss, and memories.