20190323153601_IMG_0196.JPGToday I have a review of Seven at Sea by Erik Orton and Emily  Orton. A huge thank you to Smith Publicity for my beautiful copy of this book!

My Thoughts:

Erik and his wife, Emily, have five children. Erik is working a job in a high-rise dreaming of a different life for his family as he watched the sailboats drift by on the Hudson River. 

Erik considers buying a sailboat and taking his family on an adventure. He’s never sailed, and his wife is deathly afraid of deep water, but that doesn’t stop him. The lack of large funds didn’t either. They buy the boat and sail to the Caribbean together, over 5,000 miles. 

Seven at Sea is a beautiful book. It includes color pictures and a loving family. Both Emily and Erik narrate, which was fun and interesting. The Ortons keep it honest and authentic, too. They include both the highs and the lows of their trip. 

I am inspired by the Ortons making their dream a reality. They chose their adventure and wrote a sincere story about it. I loved the epilogue where I learned more about what each family member is doing now. I also enjoyed reading about how the trip affected each family member.

Overall, Seven at Sea is a well-written adventure story involving a family that could be any family going all-in and putting their family first. 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

Working the night shift as a temp in a high-rise cubicle, Erik Orton knew something had to change. He felt the responsibility of providing for his wife and their five children—the youngest with Down syndrome—but craved a life that offered more than just surviving.

Watching the sailboats on the Hudson River during his sunset dinner breaks, Erik dared to dream. What would it be like to leave the hustle of the city and instead spend a year on a sailboat, somewhere beautiful, as a family? Despite having no sailing experience, his wife Emily’s phobia of deep water, and already stretching every dollar to pay rent and buy groceries, the family of seven turned their excuses into reasons and their fears into motivation. Sure, they would miss their friends, they could go broke, they could get injured or die. Worst of all, they could humiliate themselves by trying something audacious and failing. But the little time they still had together as a family, before their oldest daughter left for college, was drifting away. The Ortons cast off the life they knew to begin an uncertain journey of 5,000 miles between New York City and the Caribbean, ultimately arriving at a new place within themselves.

A portrait of a captivating and resilient family and a celebration of the courage it takes to head for something over the horizon, this is a deeply compelling story—told alternately by Erik and Emily—for all those who dream of leaving routine in their wake.

Have you read Seven at Sea, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR