“Author Sally Bair brings a sense of rare high adventure and struggle against the cold, cruel sea to her new novel, Williwaw Winds, a reality-based, seafaring coming-of-age tale … she is a storyteller by inclination, and brings a keen observational eye to both the nuts and bolts of crab fishing and the character of the men who go down to the sea in ships to pursue the ‘Most Dangerous Catch.’ … when the crew must rely on a thin rubber raft at the mercy of a savage sea it is a test of faith, of character—a test to break a young boy or make him a man. … The slender 104-page tale is a sea story worthy of Jack London, but…there is much more here than a yarn of misadventure. … There is a depth of spirituality in her writing that isn’t heavy-handed or preachy … If there is any failing in Bair’s tale, it is that 104 pages is far too short a time to spend in Jake Bergren’s world.”
(by Rick Olivo, The Daily Press, Ashland WI 10/13/09)
WILLIWAW WINDS is my first book published by Cedar Haven Books, a small, independent publisher. It is a tale of disaster that rivals the popular TV series, “The Deadliest Catch.”
Because WILLIWAW WINDS is based on my son’s true story, it was a book I felt compelled to write, a book I’m compassionate about. After writing the first version in 1988, I set it aside for some years. The story is so dramatic that only until recently have I been able to think about the true events without my heart racing. My son was in his 30s when it happened.
The true story tells how he and four others were rescued by the Coast Guard while returning from a crab fishing trip in Alaskan waters. Williwaws are violent winds that sweep across the Bering Sea and gain speed and strength as they go up the Alaska Mountains and plunge into the sea.
Though the setting and events are true, the characters and their inner struggles are not. Jake, the main character, is only 16. He struggles with more than williwaws during this, his first crab fishing trip. Seasick, frustrated, tired, and angry, he endures the rigorous job thinking he’s almost home free. Then the williwaws hit and he’s faced with a life and death struggle that changes his perceptions about family members, God, and himself.
WILLIWAW WINDS is for anyone of age 8 and up who enjoys the excitement, entertainment, and inspiration of a good book.
© 2011 Sally Bair
