Title: A Sailor’s Tale: Miss Judith 1888- 1893 Miss Molly
Author: E.G. Lusko
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 1796031410
Pages: 336
Genre: Science Fiction
Reviewed by: Jennifer Weiss
Pacific Book Review
The year is 1888 and a Navy sailor, like many others, starts writing letters to his niece. He tells her about where he is and what adventures he has been on. The letters to his niece are retrospective in nature as he looks back on things. A kind, honest and well educated sailor, he writes as he speaks, using clipped and shortened words. A Sailor’s Tale: Miss Judith 1888- 1893 Miss Molly is a journey with Miss Judith through the memories of her uncle’s letters and learns of the type of life he lead aboard his ship.
Making the entirety of a story told through letters is an interesting idea and made it feel a little more personal, more intimate. The language of the letters are done in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are truly reading the words of a sailor, rather than say, for example, an archaeologist or lawyer describing their adventures; thus making the letters/story feel more relatable and familiar. Old Salt is an uncle most people would want to have, he comes off as being intelligent and experienced through his travels. Creating the desire of having readers just want to sit down and listen to his stories all day, is exactly what this book delivers.
If you are the type of reader who enjoys nautical tales and family history, then this is definitely the book for you. From the first letter onward it draws you into the tale of Old Salt and makes you wonder more about his life and his family. Throughout the book, the letters reflect on Old Salt (or Sea Dog’s) life and bring readers back to his present, almost as if he was reliving each story as he wrote them down to his niece. One ends up wondering how old Miss Judith was when Old Salt began writing to her, and thoughts trail off to her and the rest of the family.
A Sailor’s Tale is a beautifully written collection of letters of a man trying to share his life with his niece. We don’t get to see her responses which leave part of the story untold, allowing the reader to try and fill in her side. It adds to the mystery and interest when one reads that Old Salt and E.G. Lusko could possibly share a bloodline. Because this is writing through letters, it is easy to set the book down and then pick it back up later.
