Fourteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival

by Leslie Johansen Nack

Winner of five independent book NIEA, Readers' Favorites, Next Generation Indie, Independent Press Award and Beverly Hills Book Awards.

Obsessed with sailing, Leslie Nack's larger-than-life Norwegian father has a dream to live on a sailboat and show his three daughters the world. And although it takes years, in 1975 he finally completes his preparation and sets his sights on French Polynesia. But when they begin their journey, Leslie, who has just turned 14, faces a disturbing her father, who's crossed boundaries in the past, is not to be trusted...and she's trapped with him on a 45-foot sailboat.

Intense and inspiring, Fourteen is a coming-of-age adventure story about a girl who – with the help of the ocean, which alternately serves as her solace and her savior - comes into her own power and finds the strength to fight back against abuse.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Adventure, Coming Of Age, Biography, Travel, Biography Memoir

Audible Audio

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Leslie Johansen Nack is the author of two award-winning books: her debut memoir, Fourteen, and her historical novel, The Blue Butterfly. Her forthcoming sequel, Nineteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery, concludes her raw and deeply personal story, chronicling her path to sobriety and a renewed sense of hope. Nack graduated from UCLA with a degree in English literature and overcame past traumas to raise two children in a healthy, loving home. She is a member of NAMW, the Historical Novel Society, and the PNWA. She lives outside Seattle with her husband.

Reviews

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous story of exploration, survival and coming of age.
The story attracted me from the first blurb I read on it. What I found between the pages was so much more. A 14 year old girl living on a boat for 2 years an ideal living in my opinion. I knew girls like this when I was young, I grew up just down the road from her. We are the same age, I sailed locally but wanted more. I wanted to be her, wanted to sail away with my dream family to a tropical island where everything was warm, beautiful and happy. I would have envied her for having it all. But, her exterior image was so far from her truth. Leslie, young, blond and pretty was living the nightmare of an overbearing abusive father and had fight for her life.
Leslie, the Californian golden child had a father a mother and two sisters. She was the middle child, of a Norwegian man who controlled and abused to the extreme. Her mother was unstable and distant. The marriage falling apart, the girls stuck in the middle. Her father sexually abusing her and forcing her to do things that embarrassed her. When he sells everything and buys a boat to sail on she worries about who will buffer her fathers attentions. Oh it is heart wrenching the torture he puts her through. She struggles with wanting her fathers love and hating his "love". She trudges through her days trying to win her rights over her own body and her nights afraid.

Sailing can be a dangerous sport and when the sicknesses, storms and other dangers come they have to survive. Luckily for the girls their dad did teach them what they needed in sailing as they are forced to take control. The sailing traumas they overcame are amazing.
This memoir was so brutally honest and direct in her feelings. She never wavered from the horrible and beautiful events of her developing self. She built herself out of hard corals and strong currents . She never missed the beauty in her surroundings the moments of kindness. She is still somebody I would have like to been like but for a different reason.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leslie Johansen Nack has written a book that is part sailing adventure, part coming-of-age story, and part memoir of surviving the kind of family we call “dysfunctional,” a word which doesn’t nearly capture the pain and confusion living in such a family causes. Her particular challenge: negotiating life with a father who is both hero and abuser, teacher and bully. But Leslie is more than a survivor: she is a brave and strong and spirited young girl you’ll cheer for throughout this gripping memoir. Nack has rendered that life and those years in beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking language and scenes so alive you’ll feel as if you’re living the experience right along with her.

[Terri Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because of its authenticity, honesty and attention to detail. The author took her time in laying the groundwork for the great journey she, her sisters and their father were embarking on, so that by the time they actually left for their trip, I was full of trepidation about how it would go. The book was so carefully written that I could feel in my middle-aged body, the roller coaster ride of churning emotions as the fourteen year-old protagonist used her wits and sheer strength of spirit to survive. Having sailed only a few times, I loved experiencing the ocean in all of its grandeur and terror through the pages. The book leaves the reader wondering if she would be so brave as these three young girls in the same situation. I've not read many memoirs but Fourteen was so compelling that I plan to delve into the memoir genre more now.

[J.P. Willson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not recall what it was that prompted me to pick this book up yet I am glad I did. A very enjoyable story of the lives of three young girls and their rather formidable force of a father in his own Norwegian way....the words domineering and controlling come to mind. In many ways it reminded me of my own youth and father and his incessant need to always be in control and have the last word.
To virtually never show any emotion towards his daughters which he very apparently loved very much and wanted nothing but the best for them, yet when he did there seemed to be an ulterior motive? All in all a story of a wonderful way to grow up albeit not without it's difficulties. It would be of interest to hear of the outcomes of all their stories and how they live their lives today.
A very pleasant and uplifting read I would certainly recommend.

[Eva Friedlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Fourteen Leslie Nack shows she has a true talent, a nack, for making her reader want to keep turning the page. I stayed up all night reading her story. Such a harrowing tale of an unconventional family; life on a rickety boat with a father who is lovable one minute and abusive the next. I can’t wait to read the prequel to learn what happened before she was fourteen and the sequel to find out what happened next. Looking forward to the movie too!

[Julie Haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Looking forward to reading more!

I loved this memoir about Leslie and her family and how they swapped the life living on a ranch to life aboard a 45ft sailboat. Starting the book it felt so relaxing and calming to read and it’s a beautiful presentation. Mum couldn't adapt to life at sea-she suffered constant sea sickness. Leslie's parents divorced when she was seven years old. They had tried to get back together many times but finally she left for Canada. Leslie is thirteen near the start of the book. She’s developing into a woman, growing up without mum. As I was reading it I was wondering what was the significance of the title, Fourteen? What would happen when she hit fourteen? I love intriguing titles like this. It certainly kept me reading. I love that there are photos in the book and it’s fantastic that there are even more on her website. There are pics chapter by chapter so you can view these as you go along in the book or when you get to the end. I loved learning all those nautical terms, looking up more about them and Leslie explains what most of them are as she mentions them. I found it very interesting. So; they planned to take an around-the-world cruise, starting on 1st December. The year was 1974. What an unforgettable experience and so wonderful that Leslie Nack has written about it all to share it with us. I really enjoyed this, it's written in a nice, easy, conversational style. She just tells it like it was, there’s no unnecessary flowery waffle. Idyllic scenes, a trip of a lifetime, yet there are undercurrents. I love that there are not just photos-lots of them-but there are also newspaper and magazine articles in the book which featured the family and their trip. Leslie's, in some ways, is a story you've heard in memoirs before: family dysfunction etc. but this is with a difference in that much of the events take place aboard their boat; a travel/sailing memoir combined. I loved all the amazing info and details about the places they were staying at and the people, the foods, their ways of doing things. I know nothing about sailing-but you certainly don't have to have any prior knowledge or experiences to enjoy this book. My only sailing trip ever and I was a bit queasy on it for a while so you can see I wouldn't have expected to be wowed so much by this book-but I LOVED it! So much to interest! I was trying to eke out the end few chapters, I would be sorry to finish it! I was so pleased and pleasantly surprised to see there will be another book to follow-I will definitely be reading it!

[Lene Fogelberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting and heartfelt, Fourteen is a profoundly moving coming-of-age memoir that stays with the reader for a long time.

[Carol Canterbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book. leslie writes wonderfully, even thru the horrible events in her life. the book is a great read, I read in a few days, you won't regret!!

[Pat Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great 'coming of age', adventure and survival memoir and so well written. The author had me turning the pages even though I didn't want the book to finish. The 'sailing' alone would have had me captivated..... Leslie's father takes his 3 daughters on a 45' boat journey across the ocean to Tahiti - can you even imagine that!! - The descriptions of this voyage are brilliant. There's an undercurrent though of the non-water type which Leslie is frightened of and eventually tries to stand-up-to... Mrs Johansen - Leslie's mother isn't great at sea and so her daughters are to set-sail with their father alone. I am happy to recommend this memoir. Oh yes, there are photos too which I really enjoyed being included. I sincerely hope to read more by this author. Please don't feel you need to be interested in boats/sailing/the ocean to enjoy this book - there's more to this memoir than first meets the eye.

[Jodell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're driftin' on an empty ocean With no wind to fill your sail The future, your horizon
It's like searchin' for the Holy Grail You feel there's no tomorrow As you look into the water below
It's only your reflection And you still ain't got no place to go Time will show When, I don't know Sail away tomorrow Sailin' far away To find it steal or borrow I'll be there someday, yeah Oh woman, I keep returnin' To sing the same old song The story's been told, now I'm gettin' old Tell me, where do I belong? Feel like I'm goin' to surrender Hard times I've had enough If I could find a place, to hide my face I believe, I could get back up Time will show When, I don't know Sail away tomorrow Sailin' far away To find it steal or borrow
But I'll be there someday, yeah
Sail Away Deep Purple

[Rita Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recipe: Mix three young girls and a mercurial and unpredictable father. Throw in a sailboat, a father’s dream and the vast Pacific Ocean. Stir together and pray for the best. Leslie Johansen Nack’s memoir is heart-rending as she and her sisters navigate through their father’s storms in a journey to adulthood unlike any other. In addition to the perils at sea, Leslie must also be on constant guard against her father, a Svengali of a parent from whom she cannot escape. I found Fourteen difficult to put down. Nack’s writing had me hanging on the rails of the sailboat with her as she plunges forward in this memorable coming-of-age saga.

[Kathy Dobronyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leslie Johansen Nack weaves the story of the ocean into of her coming-of-age memoir where it is a mother to her.

“Fourteen” is a powerful story that places the reader square in her life. We feel the salty sea air and powerful waves aboard ship. We also feel the verbal and emotional manipulation of her domineering father. How difficult it must have been for Leslie, who never measured up to her father’s expectations, to rise above his denigration in order to make solid life or death decisions. Thank you, Leslie, for sharing your well-crafted story.

[Scott Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this 300+ page memoir in one sitting. The narrative is that compelling.

[Julianna Mauga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I read this book in only a few days, I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely worth reading!

[Terri Inskip · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I find myself still reading as one day ends and the next begins, that tells me I am into a really good book. ‘Fourteen’ was most certainly that. I found it to be a real page turner. Being a long distant sailor myself was what attracted me to this book, especially as it covered cruising the South Pacific, an area I have never been to and have always wanted to explore. But this book is a lot more than a sailing travelogue. The author tells of her very challenging young teenage years in having to put up with a very dominant and controlling father who gained full custody of her and her two sisters. To make matters worse, their mother was incapable to giving any support to these very vulnerable young girls. Only Leslie’s inner strength and resilience enabled her to deal with the fact she was the favourite and having to constantly keep her father at arm’s length. She has the ability to take you with her, as she suffers all the stress and emotions she had to endure. At times, I too was exhausted!

The positive side is that through their strict father, all three girls become extremely confident sailors which just possibly saved their lives when he fell ill whilst sailing in some very dangerous waters that would have tested even experienced navigators. Did Leslie get praise from her father in managing to skipper the boat throughout the night and following day steering her into a difficult but safe lagoon? True to form, no she didn’t. Even later, after experiencing a bad storm that seemed to go on forever, whilst helping her dad deliver an old boat to San Diego, like me, Leslie never lost her love of the sea. I give this book a very worthy five star rating and look forward to reading more about the Johansen family. I want to know what happens next. Does Leslie continue sailing with her dad to eventually fulfil his desire to sail around the world?

[Luisa Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible memoir proving to me once again how real life can be more astonishing than fiction. A father takes his three young daughters on a voyage from the U.S. to the South Pacific on a sailboat. His daughters are reluctant travellers but their only other option would be to stay with their mentally unstable mother in Canada. Adventure wins the day. Leslie, thirteen at departure date and soon to turn fourteen, is the most worried. Her father has abused her physically and mentally, constantly playing with her emotions. He plays the loving father one moment, and the dominant patriarch the most. His daughters are terrified of him and constantly trying to please.
Leslie feels one moment a young girl, wanting to live a normal sisterly relationship with siblings and the next, feels the enormous responsibility for them upon her shoulders. Faced with having to be first mate on the boat, her father drills her with all she needs to know in order to handle the sailing boat. She is determined not to fail and her skills are dramatically put to the test in a situation that risked their lives. The memoir shows a girl growing into an adolescent physically and mentally. She pines for motherly love and suffers great loneliness but her mental strength brings her through. The book keeps the reader on edge as their adventures play out. I can definitely recommend this book.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book covers attract buyers; there is nothing new about this. We can tell a book by its cover, or at least we think we can. Fourteen by Leslie Johansen Nack communicates several ideas all at once. Fourteen, hmmm, that might be the age of the female on the cover. She is wearing a bikini. The next point that catches reader attention is the subtitle: A Daughter’s Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival. That last word is a trigger that evokes the possibility of domestic child abuse. Then there are the words “adventure” and “sailing.” Not available on Kindle Unlimited but selling for USD 0.55, I was interested in what this novel is about. I was happy. I discovered a story with meaning on many levels.

This is a non-fiction memoir. The author received permission from many characters to use real names. Leslie mentions that some incidents that extended over several months were compressed as far as time is concerned but events are factual. For this review, I can look at the subtitle and address my comments to each element.

The adventure is the idea of a father, Bjorn, and three daughters embarking on an ocean trip from California to Tahiti on a sailing ship. There was a motor for backup, but the entire trip could not have been done with the engine running the entire time. First, it would have taken too much fuel, more than the storage capacity of the boat. Secondly, it would have been too noisy. Leslie mentions the bone-jarring noise which was present at one point when the engine was run for almost four days straight. Therefore, the trip would be primarily under sail. Bjorn was an adventurer; he was not just going from point A, California, to point B, Tahiti. There would be stops at several islands. Having arrived at an endpoint in Tahiti, Bjorn decided he could make some money by getting paid to sail a different boat back to California. From California to Tahiti and back would involve Leslie and Bjorn being mostly at sea for nine months. Yes, there were stops at islands, sometimes for several weeks, but Bjorn seems to have been consumed with the desire to travel, to keep moving. Bjorn and his daughters; Leslie, Karen, and Monica, were at sea on the trip to Tahiti. On the trip back to California, there was Bjorn and Leslie accompanied by two hired male crew and one female hired crewperson who would help Leslie cook, stand watch, and, along with Leslie, help with other tasks required by Bjorn. The adventure was primarily the trip. Where was the three daughters’ mother? Paula could not get along with husband Bjorn and appears at several points in the story. The family was so dysfunctional that Bjorn and daughters were better off without her. But Leslie much preferred a unified family that could get along.

The story of the sailing element was a pleasure to read as far as new information (for me) although some of the storm sequences were terrifying. When is a rope not a rope? (Ans. When it is a line or a sheet). What is a Genoa? (a forward sail). What is a gimbaled stove? (Read the book). The section on navigation in the pre-GPS era (as far as sailboat navigation was concerned) is well presented and a bit technical. This was not left solely to Bjorn. All the daughters were expected to know all the skills of sailing and navigation that would be called upon during the trip. Bjorn made some allowances for Karen, the youngest daughter. But Monica and Leslie were expected to know and employ all skills necessary to cope with any emergency as well as al day-to-day operations. This training was demanding, and Leslie constantly felt her efforts to master skills such as navigation perfectly went mostly unappreciated. Although Monica was older, both other daughters felt Leslie was Bjorn’s favorite. Leslie thought so too and was both frightened and proud of her status. Bjorn demanded the most of Leslie, rarely praised her, and was very quick to criticize her.

Then we come to the story of survival, a story which I believe has three parts. First, are the stories of survival of the ship and crew as they worked through several threatening storms. By descriptions in this story, the storms seem to exceed the capability of the sailboats (there were two). What happens when the ship loses the ability to call for help? In one case, the ship could receive information but, due to a radio fire, they could not transmit. On their second sailboat, the one on which they returned to the US, the boat lost a wind vane close to the beginning of the journey. This served almost like an autopilot. Without it, one member of the crew would have to be physically present at the wheel throughout the journey. This almost doubled the demands on everyone on the boat.

The second story of survival is Leslie’s story. She is the author of this memoir and its narrator. Leslie is very clear about how she is appalled by the abuse that her father, Bjorn, committed. She also loved her father completely and always. In her words “He was completely predictable in his unpredictability. I loved him desperately as any little girl loves her hero father, but I also hated him fiercely and would have done just about anything to get away from him. He was the best and the worst father in the world to me, and that would be a hard fact I’d have to reconcile in the years to come.” (Kindle pg. 350).

The third survival story is one that is not written about so explicitly by Leslie. It is a story that will resonate with expatriate travelers and even some tourists. Leslie writes about dealing with being alone. It is not a story of regret at being alone. Being alone can be good or it can break a person to the point of requiring mental health assistance. I especially liked on method Leslie used to be productive during her “alone” time. She read books, all kinds of books. As I proceed along my travels as a permanent expatriate (not solely on a boat) I found a lot of validation about my ways of coping with the loneliness that happens as a result of language and cultural differences. This is a five-star Amazon read, also a page-turner, and an insight into a European subculture. As a psychological study concentrating on mental survival in a family setting with widely diverging signals as to what is expected, I highly recommend it.

[Linda Atwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Fourteen because it was a coming of age memoir. I generally read a lot of memoirs—I love reading about other people's lives—and this one kept my interest throughout. I love to sail—but on a HUGE cruise ship. I would never be brave enough to sail from San Diego to the South Pacific on a small sailboat. I know Leslie had her father and siblings with her, but still. I think at that age I would have been petrified to be so far away from land. Although this isn't just a sailing book, it touches on the sexual abuse her father directed toward her, as well as her coming of age. For a young woman who is somewhat abandoned by her mother at a crucial time in her life, having to go out to sea with a father she is leery of was a lot to deal with. On the other hand, the adventures she experienced because of her father's adventuresome spirit (I am not condoning his inappropriate behavior at all), were really quite incredible. My husband and I traveled by cruise ship to the south pacific a couple years ago and visited some of the same Tahitian islands that Leslie visited. It was awesome to read her experiences in a place where I had similar memories. One of the things that I admired about this writer was her strength. She found ways to avoid and stand up to her overbearing father. She has a lot more strength than many of us would have had at her age. She writes an inspiring story.

[Askaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen is one of these books that leave you in need for more after the last page, a rare gift all readers crave but few writers deliver.
Fourteen is a fantastic coming of age adventure that engrosses the reader from page one right to the last one; a multiple layer tale that is as much about sailing the Pacific ocean as to how to survive dysfunctional parents & living at close quarters with an overbearing father and, it manages to ring authentic throughout!
Thank you Leslie (Johansen Nack) for a wonderful 2 weeks reading Fourteen (and, incidentally, thank you for the souvenirs you brought back of my own -European ;) father).
I am a difficult to please reader but I will definitely recommend Fourteen to anyone who'll listen.
What a great, great read!
Edit: 12 days since I turned the last page and I haven't been able to read anything else since, nothing seems as interesting - It was so easy to feel empathy for the young Leslie, that my mind keeps going back to her journey at the most unexpected moments.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Fourteen” A daughters journey in the high sea:”

An extraordinary book written by Leslie Johansen Nack. It is a slice of life for Leslie where she was abused by her father and lived in terror of him every day. It shows it only takes once or twice to ruin a child’s trust in her father and destroy natural growth in male female relationships.
I was very impressed with how honest and transparent Leslie was able to be, not just telling what happened but showing. This showing make the reader feel like the one actually experiencing her pain.
But it was not all pain that reader also shared in her competition ends of mastery over the sailboat eerie and or an elitist ear through a storm was remarkable. While reading this book I felt like I was living on the sea, with storms, sunsets and sun rises. I was the one to see the white sand of the French Polynesian islands and survive exotic tropical diseases.
Nack really knows how to write so the reader experiences her experiences that she wrote about.

A highly recommended memoir.

[Susan Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart ached knowing Leslie's mother was absent in her life because of a chronic, debilitating mental illness. And I cringed. each time Leslie's father verbally abused her or made sexual advances to her and her sisters.

This honest coming-of-age story had me counting my blessings—sweeping me back in time and reminding me of my own awkwardness at that clueless puberty age. Lucky me, to have had caring parents who did their best to raise and educate eight children; a mother who taught me why wearing a bra was a good idea for any young lady with ample breasts and a father who didn't ogle my every move.

I greatly admire the way Leslie handled a sailboat through turbulent seas, and dealt with her father's egoistic behavior and her mother's lack of empathy. I cheered when she gathered the courage to fight back at Fourteen.

Kudos to Leslie for her accomplishments as a sailor and a writer. Impressive!

A well written, inspirational book.

[Diana Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I yearned for something I couldn’t verbalize: the day my body was my own.” [p.9]

In this searing memoir of growing up as a young teen on a sailboat with her Norwegian father in the seventies, the author takes us on a journey of self-reflection and coming of age in a family blindsided by a mother’s illness and abandonment and a father’s sadistic, volatile and abusive temperament.

“Nothing happened. It was a nightmare and I made it up.” [p.43]

There are memoirs—many of them—about abuse and recovery. Nack takes us into the interior world of a young girl whose emotions, confusion, and inner conflicts of doubt, loyalty and choosing between mother and father are painful and unforgettable. A difficult but memorable read! Can’t wait for the sequel!

[J.A. Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story about a girl's grand adventure of bravery and resilience on the high seas. Leslie is a charming girl who has way too much responsibility for a child. I know first hand that growing up with selfish parents is hard work and I often related to Leslie's fears and struggles. I also get that all humans are fallible and do things they regret. I'm guessing (hoping) Leslie found a way to forgive and move on. Bravo!

[vvb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5
Coming of age story with the sea as a backdrop. Although the tale is not necessarily a pretty one in regards to family/father relations, it provides the general feeling of what it is like to be out on a sea adventure.

I liked learning about navigating a boat and what is involved in a long sea journey.

The photos included throughout the book was a nice touch and drew me into the story even more.

[Mariah McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book immediately pulled me in and sustained my interest the entire time. It is well-written and engaging tale that takes place primarily on the sea and in exotic locale. Despite the grand adventure and trying circumstances, we experience the ordinary thoughts and feelings of a young woman coming of age who is fearful of abuse, yet grows ever more resilient and empowered as her journey continues.

[Jennifer Silva Redmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this tale of trials and adventure at sea and in the South Pacific. As a sailor, the sailing sections all rang true, and as the daughter in a dysfunctional family, the family challenges and heartbreaks really resonated with me. (Full disclosure: I edited this book) If you like reading about family dynamics or adventure travel or both, this book is for you!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Leslie's voice and point of view are easy for me to crawl into and be mesmerized. There is beauty and there is ugliness. There is survival at different levels. I loved all the nautical-speak and I learned some things about sailing too.

[Elizabeth Marro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich and full coming-of-age story, this memoir follows a girl who at fourteen went to sea with her complicated, often abusive father and her sisters and returned home marked forever by the experience. Fascinating.

[Kme_17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as a first read. This book was definitely interesting reading. This book about a fourteen year old who lived a boat for a large amount of time. This was definitely an honest look at a troubled family with an interesting living situation. Definitely an engrossing read.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a page turner!