Join Cynthia "Cindy" Elder for a behind-the-scenes look at her debut historical fiction novel series, Tales of the Sea on Tuesday, June 17 at 6:30 pm. The two books, The Journey Begins and The Drumbeats of War, reveal the inner lives of three generations from a seafaring family in the 1800s during a time of global change and political upheaval. The series is based on extensive research and hundreds of pages of unpublished ship’s logs, letters and journals found amongst her husband's family records.

Free and open to all. Registration required.

Books will be available for purchase.

About the Series

Tales of the Sea tells 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. Through their own words, the novel elevates the voices of men and women who braved years-long sailing voyages. The plot intersects with the stories of soldiers and slaves as the United States splits apart at the seams.

In the first book, The Journey Begins, we see West Barnstable in 1830 through the eyes of lighthouse keeper Joseph Nickerson and members of the Jenkins and Fish families whose livelihoods are tied to the sea. 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. As book one concludes, James and Ruth are united in their vision to sail the world together while their country strains under the tension between North and South.

Book two, Drumbeats of War, follows the journey of James, Ruth and their daughter Minnie aboard the ship Hoogly as they cross oceans, endure unimaginable loss and watch their country devolve into brutal conflict. Ruth’s brother Josiah is swept into the Civil War, while Ruth’s father spirals into mental illness. Aboard the Hoogly, they take on a ship's cook who fled slavery through a network of abolitionists. Ruth and James sacrifice everything for each other and discover that the life they had run from now beckons them home.