A beautifully written story of a fishing tragedy off Brier Island, a small, remote community in the Bay of Fundy. It captures, accurately and emotionally, the loss of two young islanders in a vicious winter gale, just before Christmas, in 1963, and its impact on the tightly-knit community. The author, with his intimate relationship to the island, gives a very compelling account of this harrowing event. A must-read.
Captain Keith McLaren, author of A Race for Real Sailors:
the Bluenose and the International Fishermen's Cup 1920-1938
Tragedies at sea happen all too often. You see the headlines, hear the news: "Four missing, presumed dead". Reporters put on their sad voices to tell us about who was left behind to mourn.
Ben Robicheau takes us beyond those headlines, into the thoughts and feelings and actions of his small Island community as it deals with such a loss. He deftly combines fact with creative writing to draw you into the unfolding tragedy. Once you've read this story, you'll never react as you did in the past to a "lost at sea" story.
Andy Moir, Editor, Passages, The Brier and Long Island News
Ben Robicheau combines historical records and first-person family accounts with an intimate knowledge of his beloved Brier Island and his own childhood recollections to reconstruct and de-construct two tragedies at sea. Ben has traced the events that led up to the sinking and offers possible scenarios about what actually happened. Ben has succeeded in capturing the impact of this devastating event and conveying the enduring sense of loss that grips fishing communities at such times.
Jim Prime, author of Beyond the Passage
