The Journey Begins

Tales of the Sea, Book 1

De: Cynthia Elder

Narrado por: Joshua Macrae

West Barnstable. 1830.

Based on the true story of a family from West Barnstable, Massachusetts, during the final chapter of the Great Age of Sail and the tumultuous years leading up to and through the Civil War.

Lighthouse keeper Joseph Nickerson and members of the Jenkins and Fish families are tied to the sea through their work. Their voices are those of men and women who braved years-long sailing voyages as the United States split apart at the seams.

Young James Jenkins follows the sailor’s life, rising over a decade to become a merchant ship captain who transports guano, tea and coal around the globe. He finds his match in Ruth Fish, the daughter of a ship’s captain who bristles with passion to see the world and escape the confines of her small town.

Separated for years from his family, James binds himself to them through letters that span the vastness of oceans and time. At home, the rumbles of conflict over slavery reverberate into every corner of life.

James and Ruth are united in their vision to sail the world together while their country strains under the tension between North and South. An uncertain future awaits.

Cynthia Elder is a novelist, poet and nonprofit leader.

©2025 Cynthia Elder (P)2025 Cynthia Elder

A story of family, love, and sea.

Cindy Elder artistically weaves together real-life journals and letters to tell the story of two sailing families in the mid-nineteenth century on Cape Cod. She brings Ruth Fish and James Jenkins to life through her descriptions of travelling the world on a ship and life at home in West Barnstable and Salem, MA. Her eloquent descriptions make you feel like you are present in every scene, whether navigating a storm on a ship or having tea with your future in-laws on Cape Cod. She clearly did her research. I enjoyed the lighthouse keeper’s reflections on the news of the day, including the tension in the years leading up to the Civil War. The narrator, Joshua Macrae, does a great job of distinguishing between the characters. A must listen!