The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife

Fabulous Read

Recommended by Jen Lancaster's blog, I eagerly picked this up. Who hasn't harbored the idea of sailing away from it all? Janna Cawrse Easery weaves the tale of her and her husband's honeymoon sailing to the Southern Cross. It's relateable, sweet, funny and endearing. Couldn't put it down yet tried to hold off finishing it. Is definitely a re-read and pass to friends. If you've ever set foot on a boat or had a relationship that spanned your different 'selves' - this is the book for you.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

adventures in couplehood

Janna Cawrse Esarey handed herself the perfect real-life metaphor for her new marriage when she and her husband took off sailing across the Pacific for their two-year honeymoon, and she milked it for all it was worth--much to the benefit of anyone who reads her book. This is a good cruising story, if you're into that, but it's much more. You don't need to be contemplating an ocean voyage to get a lot out of this--you just need to be contemplating a journey through life with a mate--or already on one. This is real, it's honest, and it's a good time with a big heart.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A relationship book, a sailing manual, a traveling memoir, a love story, and the perfect beach read rolled into one

In "The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife," Janna Cawrse Esarey details her two-year long honeymoon spent sailing across the Pacific ocean with her husband-dangerous weather, piracy threats, exotic places, and rocky love life included. Tired of being the typical workaholic English teacher with a boring life, Janna decides to fulfill her childhood dream of sailing and enlists her enthusiastic husband for the ride. However, their romance is soon overshadowed by on-going problems with their boat "Dragonfly," cross-cultural misunderstandings abroad, and gender differences becoming increasingly apparent as a result of spending too much time together. Yet, armed with nothing but a rookie sailor's instinct, Janna's basic French and her husband's fluent Mandarin, they somehow manage to make the arrangement work. Through the pages of Janna's exciting memoir, we become a part of her unforgettable journey to foreign places and self-discovery. With her, we participate in the lobster-hunting and cross-dressing cultures of Polynesia, ride across rugged terrains only to have our bike stolen in Micronesia, and almost collide in a head-on crash with a Chinese ship in Asia. Marital woes, wacky co-sailors, and Janna's initial depression only serve to deepen this recipe for a tropical honeymoon unlike no other. Places visited include Mexico, Galapagos Islands, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and many, many islands one never even knew existed until reading Janna's captivating descriptions of them and her meticulous research into their historical legacies. During this time, Janna re-evaluates her past and searches for a new purpose in her future. Her tale is only too familiar for anyone who has ever caught themselves in the middle of unhappiness, and decided to abandon everything for their dreams. The stakes are high, and at a moment's notice lives like Janna's can be either made or broken. This book may be viewed in multiple ways: As a self-help relationship book, a sailing manual, a traveling memoir, a love story, or simply the perfect beach read. The writing is reminiscent of a best friend's diary: frank, easy to read, and refreshingly intimate. Not everyone can leave their old life behind on a boat bound for the Pacific with an on-again, off-again love interest turned husband, but the majority of the female population is sure to identify with Janna and her hilarious account of 'sailing' through life's ever changing tides, only to end up on the other side.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Great Summer Read!

The Motion of the Ocean is an entertaining, thought-provoking memoir of a woman's voyage, both across the Pacific Ocean and through the inevitable ebbs and flows of marriage. Throughout the book, the author tackles some of the "big questions" that many couples face when trying to figure out how to be an 'us.' From encounters with local islanders to frighteningly vivid descriptions of thunderstorms out at sea, to poignant reflections on an island's cross-dressing subculture, The Motion of the Ocean is at times serious, at times humorous, and always witty and thoughtful. If you like books that make you laugh, make you think, inspire you to see your relationships in new ways, and open windows into worlds you might never have a chance to see, then you'll love The Motion of the Ocean.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

great book!

As a man, I just loved a womens perspective on the trials and tribulations of life aboard with her man. It was well written and I enjoyed it immensly. I also became aware of just how different men and women are when facing different situations. I look at things along the road of life a little different now, and try to think thru the eyes of my wife before I get upset at our differences. amazing! I would love to have been there on the journey. My wife now has the book,I want her to read it and compare in her view how close she would handle the same situations and how she would be feeling along the way.. Thanks for a great book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

AWESOME!!!

This book was something that I had heard about on-line as a feature on MSN. I bought the book hoping it would be the entertainment on my vacation this past summer. And it was! It was entertaining, interesting, and above all she has a great sense of humor and is able to give her vision of her husband and her travels. I wish I had the guts to sail around the vast ocean with my husband.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fun and thought-provoking read

The Motion of the Ocean is a great summer read. The book delves into the ups and downs of relationships that any woman can identify with, while it takes you on a grand adventure that most of us will never experience. We travel with Janna on her two-year-long "honeymoon" budget sailing adventure around the Pacific with her new husband. The book will inspire you to think more about your relationship (Does "the one" really exist and will you know when you find him/her? Or do YOU make "the one" through hard work and effort every single day?). It may even inspire you to take on a new adventure yourself. Or it may just make you appreciate your safe, cozy sofa as you curl up and enjoy this book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Sailing Adventure

If you ever sailed a boat this is for you.

Awesome!

I loved this book. I laughed and cried as I followed her journey on a sailboat and in a relationship.

Not the best read....

Do not buy this book if you are interested in reading about a couple who is sailing around the world. If you want to hear about the destinations in any great detail or even the ocean passages- you won't find much description here. This book is generally the musings of a newlywed woman on a boat with an unfortunate husband who has to deal with her seemingly constant insecurity. I give him full marks for not throwing her overboard.

witty book

this book was chosen for a book club pick and i really enjoyed it. the writing is clever and it's fun to join the author on her personal journey of discovery. her story of traveling the pacific with her husband may not be every readers' choice for self discovery, but it was fun to go along on that ride to see a few things in a fresh new light.

Awesome

Best book I've read in years.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.