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111 ratings | 5 reviews | avg rating:4.54

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Cynthia Elder

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.cynthiaelder.com

Twitter

celder64

Genre

Historical Fiction, Poetry, History

Member Since

March 2025

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/cynthia_elder_author

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Cynthia “Cindy” Elder is a novelist, poet and nonprofit leader. Her two-part novel, Tales of the Sea (Holand Press, 2025), tells the true story of a seafaring family from West Barnstable, Massachusetts, during the final chapter of the Great Age of Sail and the tumultuous years of the Civil War.

Kirkus Reviews, one of the publishing industry’s premier book review sources, describes "Tales of the Sea" as “a well-developed novel that uses copious historical sources to vividly bring its characters and setting to life.” Kirkus gave the novel a “Get It” recommendation, a designation achieved by 25% of authors associated with independent publishers.

Cindy’s poetry has appeared in many literary magazines over the last four decades, including recent e ...more

Combine Editions
Cynthia Elder’s books

Average rating: 4.41 · 59 ratings · 22 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Journey Begins (Tales of the Sea, #1) 4.26 avg rating — 43 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Drumbeats of War (Tales of the Sea Book 2) 4.81 avg rating — 16 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Cynthia is Currently Reading

Cynthia Elder is currently reading

Follow the Sun

by Edward J. Delaney (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 17, 2026 04:35PM

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Cynthia’s Recent Updates

Cynthia Elder liked Gregory C.'s review of The Drumbeats of War (Tales of the Sea Book 2): "A follow-on to the author's "The Journey Begins", "Drumbeats" continues the story of her husband's family as the Civil War looms and then appears in the narrative. The author once again weaves together history and fiction as she skillfully interposes" Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2026 05:01PM · see review
Cynthia Elder liked martyn benny's review of The Journey Begins (Tales of the Sea, #1): "The Journey Begins is a beautifully researched and deeply immersive historical novel that captures both the adventure of the Age of Sail and the profound social changes reshaping America in the decades before the Civil War. Drawing inspiration from th" Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2026 05:00PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Journey Begins by Cynthia Elder. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Journey Begins by Cynthia Elder <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia Elder liked Michael Godwin's review of The Journey Begins (Tales of the Sea, #1): "The Journey Begins is a beautifully immersive historical novel that brings nineteenth-century coastal Massachusetts and the final years of the Great Age of Sail to life. Cynthia Elder combines family history, maritime adventure, romance, and the grow" Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2026 05:00PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Journey Begins by Cynthia Elder. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Journey Begins by Cynthia Elder <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia Elder rated a book it was amazing The Stargazer of Nantucket: A Historical Novel Set on the Island of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Julie Gerstenblatt's newest novel offers everything a seasoned sailor could hope for -- adventure on the high seas, ripping sails in treacherous waters, meticulously researched narration of sailing maneuvers on the fastest clipper ship of the day, an ...more
Aug 17, 2026 04:46PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Stargazer of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Stargazer of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia Elder rated a book really liked it Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginzburg	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I found this book less amusing than promised, and a bit tedious at times. So why the four-star rating? I consider the time in which it was written (the 1960s), the time and place it described, and the courage it took to write this personal look into ...more
Aug 17, 2026 04:39PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginzburg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginzburg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia Elder rated a book it was amazing Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 17, 2026 04:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia Elder rated a book really liked it Blood Sisters (Syd Walker #1) by Vanessa Lillie (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 17, 2026 04:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia Elder rated a book it was amazing The Editor by Steven Rowley (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 17, 2026 04:36PM · like
Cynthia Elder is currently reading Follow the Sun by Edward J. Delaney (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 17, 2026 04:35PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Follow the Sun by Edward J. Delaney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Follow the Sun by Edward J. Delaney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Cynthia Elder made a comment on Kaylee’s review of The Journey Begins (Tales of the Sea, #1) " So glad you enjoyed it, Kaylee! If you want to find out what happens to Ruth, James, Josiah and Joseph, all will be revealed in The Drumbeats of War. "
May 05, 2026 08:18AM · see review