Tales of the Sea

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.