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Unmoored: Coming of Age in Troubled Waters
It’s the ’60s in San Francisco. Peace, love, and rock ’n’ roll reign. Counterculture has arrived and the times, they are a-changing, but while the beat goes on, a sixteen-year-old girl thinks only of endless summers beyond the dark waters of the Golden Gate Bridge. After spending a decade helping her father build their forty-foot sailboat, Heritage, she will leave behind everything she has known for the promise he’s made to her and her sisters and mother: that on this trip of a lifetime, he will be a better man and father. Heading out to sea on the night of their departure, she fears how ill-equipped they are for the enormity of what lies ahead. After all, her father has failed his celestial navigation course, her sisters can’t swim, and no one knows how to sail. Is it just departure jitters, or does she see something others don’t?
Set against a backdrop of the tropics, teenage torment, and a coterie of colorful and unforgettable characters, Unmoored tells a parallel story of a young woman’s budding independence and personal growth. Aboard Heritage, fueled by humor and her indomitable spirit, she learns to trust her intuition and to understand the power of self-reliance as her family hopscotches from port to port along the rugged coastlines from San Francisco to Central America and beyond. As Heritage battles storms, fire, and near disasters, the girl’s family slowly fractures, and she must decide on a course of action that may alter her dreams forever.
Unmoored is a story of adventure, revelation, and ultimately redemption. The outcome is never guaranteed, and sometimes not even the journey is a sure thing, but the discovery of resilience, strength, and most of all forgiveness is an inspiration for those who have dared to dream and thought they failed.
Set against a backdrop of the tropics, teenage torment, and a coterie of colorful and unforgettable characters, Unmoored tells a parallel story of a young woman’s budding independence and personal growth. Aboard Heritage, fueled by humor and her indomitable spirit, she learns to trust her intuition and to understand the power of self-reliance as her family hopscotches from port to port along the rugged coastlines from San Francisco to Central America and beyond. As Heritage battles storms, fire, and near disasters, the girl’s family slowly fractures, and she must decide on a course of action that may alter her dreams forever.
Unmoored is a story of adventure, revelation, and ultimately redemption. The outcome is never guaranteed, and sometimes not even the journey is a sure thing, but the discovery of resilience, strength, and most of all forgiveness is an inspiration for those who have dared to dream and thought they failed.
- GenresMemoir
328 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2023
5 people are currently reading
1740 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 19, 2023
I was totally blown away by J.R. Roessl’s account of her teen years spent on the water, in a sailboat she and her sisters helped her father build. Her sometimes harrowing account reminded me of “The Old Man and the Sea,” “Moby Dick,” and “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.”
I am an advance reader for Roessl’s book, “Unmoored: Coming of Age in Troubled Waters,” which will come out in May of 2023. Roessl’s poignant account of loneliness and abandonment, while seeking wholeness at sea with her family, makes for splendid and sometimes heart-rending reading. She counters this with lush descriptions of coastal California, Mexico, and Panama, including the playful sea creatures she meets along the way.
Ultimately, J.R., the child, comes to grips with her topsy turvy life, making peace with a “Captain Bligh” father and a weak mother. Young J.R. battles her way to adulthood through sheer determination, cussedness, and the kindness of strangers, finding redemption and meaning along the way.
“Unmoored” is a fascinating read, and a total “Good Read.” I give it five stars.
I am an advance reader for Roessl’s book, “Unmoored: Coming of Age in Troubled Waters,” which will come out in May of 2023. Roessl’s poignant account of loneliness and abandonment, while seeking wholeness at sea with her family, makes for splendid and sometimes heart-rending reading. She counters this with lush descriptions of coastal California, Mexico, and Panama, including the playful sea creatures she meets along the way.
Ultimately, J.R., the child, comes to grips with her topsy turvy life, making peace with a “Captain Bligh” father and a weak mother. Young J.R. battles her way to adulthood through sheer determination, cussedness, and the kindness of strangers, finding redemption and meaning along the way.
“Unmoored” is a fascinating read, and a total “Good Read.” I give it five stars.
January 23, 2023
I was privileged to receive an advance reader copy of “Unmoored: Coming of Age in Troubled Waters,” by J.R. Roessl. In this engaging memoir, J.R. vividly recalls her teen-age years growing up in a dysfunctional family with a tyrant for a father, whose dream is to build a boat and sail around the world. He promises his wife and four daughters a new and exciting life, and they set sail from the coast of California in 1969. J.R. tells her story with vivid descriptions, spunky dialog, humor, and brutal honesty. They face mechanical troubles, raging seas, broiling heat and freezing cold, and meet interesting characters along the way. But the ever-present thread is her love/hate relationship with her father and her struggle to be accepted, appreciated and loved for who she is. I couldn’t put it down. Watch for its official release in May!
March 29, 2023
Unmoored quickly captivated me in the first few paragraphs, it was hard to put down until I finished it. The story was very gripping - I truly felt the fear, loneliness and adrenaline of living through such a precarious adventure aboard a very cramped vessel. I loved the author’s vulnerability throughout the book and learned from her sharp self insights. I loved this book
February 6, 2023
As a devoted reader of memoirs, I took my sweet time with the advanced reader copy of J.R. Roessl's Unmoored. This isn't just another coming of age story, it's that and beyond because its setting is in the most challenging of places - a sailboat with a narcissistic father, his fearful wife and their four daughters. Having been taken from the lives they all knew, this tiny space now harbored the dreams, the losses, the convictions of six separate people, five of whom are directed to blindly follow orders. She perseveres, transitioning through her late teen years by having to escape and start over. This true story is unimaginable when the rest of us consider our own experiences. I can only look forward to what's yet to come from this author.
March 24, 2023
I confess I'm not a sailor, so I wondered if Unmoored would capture my attention. But it definitely did and way more! JR's reflections and observations about her challenging adventure and semi-confinement with her family in a small boat mixed with details about sailing and seamanship made for an absorbing book. Unmoored propelled and compelled me forward page after fascinating page. What a story! I had an advance reader copy, but when the book is available in May, get it!
January 8, 2023
After reading an advanced reader copy of Unmoored, I can say without hesitation that I loved it. I read a lot of memoirs and can’t remember the last time I found one that was such a page turner. My own growing up experience was completely different than the journey depicted here but I felt very close to these girls and couldn’t wait to find out what happened to them. Beautifully written, a bit harrowing but also humorous and never dull. I’d love for J.R. to pick up her own story where this one left off. Meanwhile, read this book!
February 4, 2023
The main character of this memoir is a 16 year old American born girl, telling the story of a harrowing sailing adventure she experienced. A true coming of age story of a young girl and her family on a new frontier with a sail boat built with their own hands and a controlling father who treats his wife and daughters like slaves and shows little love to them and an absent mother who seems to be in her own world. It is a very detailed lesson in sailing and shows what not to do as a first time sailor through many near-death mishaps and circumstances. It is also a lesson in family dynamics and how the mother should have done something to stop the abuse but doesn't and lets her teenage girls be used by their father as if they were adult crew on a professional sailing trip. An overabundance of funny moments, the laugh out loud kind and beautiful moments at sea as well as visits to lively towns on the Mexican coast soften the blow of this harrowing boat trip, but also show the gusto and incredible human courage to tolerate and beat the terrible circumstances against all apparent odds. Great read and an amazing story!! And inspirational book written by an author in her 60s looking back on her life as a 16 year old girl thrown onto a boat and a serious situation and having to cope with it. J.R. is not an ordinary 16-year-old girl, but has become an expert sailor who is pushed to the limits of her abilities and steps above any imagined solutions, saving her father's boat and her family at every turn. Loved the challenges and the adventure! Great book, a must read!
December 27, 2022
Just finished reading an advance reader copy of this wonderful, page-turner of a memoir. Roessl does a great job capturing the self-doubt of a young woman growing up in the early '70s - deftly navigating her domineering father and tolerating her sisters in the tight quarters of the family's boat, Heritage, which they sail from San Francisco to Trinidad. As someone growing up in the Midwest, it's hard to imagine such an adventure but Roessl easily transports the reader there with a descriptive, captivating writing style. Well-done!
August 12, 2023
As soon as you realize that you’re boarding a handcrafted wooden sailboat for a two-year, perilous sea journey, with a father of four young girls, who spent ten years building his own sailboat, but never bothered to study the pathway to destinations he had chosen or even learn navigation, you are deathly worried about those girls—and their mostly silent, ineffectual mother.
Painfully aware of the peril her tyrannical father has put them all in, yet emotionally invested in the fantastical adventure he’s long proposed, our sixteen-year-old narrator half-heartedly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, through perilous waters. Ms. Roessl employs a graceful, measured, poetic voice, as she leads us in and out of exotic (and occasionally dangerous) ports, offering peeks into the world of yachting, albeit from the position of a less-than-well-funded and less-than stellar, handmade sailboat plagued with oily bilge and equipment that regularly fails them.
The young Ms. Roessl’s description of what it’s like to sail south from San Diego, through a host of Mexican and Central American ports, is both harrowingly frightening when storms bash them about and vividly picturesque when sunsets blanket the sky in brilliant colors. Her descriptions of the whales, dolphins, and various sea creatures that accompany them, as well as the flora and fauna of each port that awaits them, had me pausing to re-read descriptions. One truly feels like a passenger on the vessel, experiencing the rush of wanderlust one imagines, the bounty of what the eye beholds, and the shock of occasionally alarming conditions.
I strongly identified with the agony of a high-spirited, intelligent young woman who worked so hard to impress her quirky, self-obsessed father yet repeatedly failed to win his regard—through no lack of her own. Here, Ms. Roessl employs a steady, honest, reportorial voice that invites you in but doesn’t mire you down. Still, you become fully invested in this family’s quest, the challenges they all, but particularly the young heroine, face, and feel compelled to read relentlessly for days until you feel sure she’d be not only safe, but triumphant.
I would highly recommend this memoir to anyone who has ever experienced wanderlust and longs to take a journey far from home, particularly in a wooden vessel reliant upon the wind and the boat and crew’s ability to weather all storms. I’d also recommend it to any young woman struggling with her own identity, which means almost any young woman, or those who love her. Whether she knew it at the time, or only learned it years later, clearly Ms. Rossel’s clarity, grit, willingness to adventure, devotion to family, and this harrowing journey ultimately forged her personality.
I promise you this: Unmoored will leave an impression that lasts for a long time.
Painfully aware of the peril her tyrannical father has put them all in, yet emotionally invested in the fantastical adventure he’s long proposed, our sixteen-year-old narrator half-heartedly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, through perilous waters. Ms. Roessl employs a graceful, measured, poetic voice, as she leads us in and out of exotic (and occasionally dangerous) ports, offering peeks into the world of yachting, albeit from the position of a less-than-well-funded and less-than stellar, handmade sailboat plagued with oily bilge and equipment that regularly fails them.
The young Ms. Roessl’s description of what it’s like to sail south from San Diego, through a host of Mexican and Central American ports, is both harrowingly frightening when storms bash them about and vividly picturesque when sunsets blanket the sky in brilliant colors. Her descriptions of the whales, dolphins, and various sea creatures that accompany them, as well as the flora and fauna of each port that awaits them, had me pausing to re-read descriptions. One truly feels like a passenger on the vessel, experiencing the rush of wanderlust one imagines, the bounty of what the eye beholds, and the shock of occasionally alarming conditions.
I strongly identified with the agony of a high-spirited, intelligent young woman who worked so hard to impress her quirky, self-obsessed father yet repeatedly failed to win his regard—through no lack of her own. Here, Ms. Roessl employs a steady, honest, reportorial voice that invites you in but doesn’t mire you down. Still, you become fully invested in this family’s quest, the challenges they all, but particularly the young heroine, face, and feel compelled to read relentlessly for days until you feel sure she’d be not only safe, but triumphant.
I would highly recommend this memoir to anyone who has ever experienced wanderlust and longs to take a journey far from home, particularly in a wooden vessel reliant upon the wind and the boat and crew’s ability to weather all storms. I’d also recommend it to any young woman struggling with her own identity, which means almost any young woman, or those who love her. Whether she knew it at the time, or only learned it years later, clearly Ms. Rossel’s clarity, grit, willingness to adventure, devotion to family, and this harrowing journey ultimately forged her personality.
I promise you this: Unmoored will leave an impression that lasts for a long time.
April 10, 2023
The teenage years may be the most difficult period of our life. During a time when we search for identity and purpose, we cling to the well-grounded influences which surround us. Most of us find stability within our family, whether it’s our parents and siblings, extended family, or friends whom we call family. But what if an ocean sweeps away that firm ground beneath your feet, swirling you into eddies of chaos and uncertainty? What if you’re trapped on a boat, battling a rage growing inside of you like every wave that swells, ready to crash and upend your voyage?
J.R. Roessl’s memoir, UNMOORED, Coming of Age in Troubled Waters, recalls and retells her family’s experience of living aboard a forty-foot schooner, Heritage, as they sailed from Oakland, down the California coast, to Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica and into the Panama Canal. At sixteen, when they set sail, the family launches into unknown waters. Captained by her father, a man still searching for his own identity and purpose into his 40s, and with little to no sailing experience, Heritage weighs anchor. For the next two years, 1969-1971, J.R., her three sisters and parents battled weather, the sea, mechanical breakdowns, pestilence from below, above, churning within their stomachs and swarming within the cracks of the ship’s berth.
With every nautical mile they cover, Roessl brings her readers along for the voyage. You feel every spray of salt. Your body sways with every wave. You yearn for a meal consisting of more than chipped beef. You gaze at a star-filled sky. You swim in the clear waters alongside the fishes. You watch for the dolphins who dance in your wake. Your muscles grow strong with every pull of an oar or yank of a sail’s halyard. You fear, tremble, laugh, question, and marvel. Most of all, you search deep inside for the fortitude needed to endure the travel on a ship steered by a modern-day Captain Ahab and chart the direction of your life.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an early reader copy of this amazing book.
J.R. Roessl’s memoir, UNMOORED, Coming of Age in Troubled Waters, recalls and retells her family’s experience of living aboard a forty-foot schooner, Heritage, as they sailed from Oakland, down the California coast, to Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica and into the Panama Canal. At sixteen, when they set sail, the family launches into unknown waters. Captained by her father, a man still searching for his own identity and purpose into his 40s, and with little to no sailing experience, Heritage weighs anchor. For the next two years, 1969-1971, J.R., her three sisters and parents battled weather, the sea, mechanical breakdowns, pestilence from below, above, churning within their stomachs and swarming within the cracks of the ship’s berth.
With every nautical mile they cover, Roessl brings her readers along for the voyage. You feel every spray of salt. Your body sways with every wave. You yearn for a meal consisting of more than chipped beef. You gaze at a star-filled sky. You swim in the clear waters alongside the fishes. You watch for the dolphins who dance in your wake. Your muscles grow strong with every pull of an oar or yank of a sail’s halyard. You fear, tremble, laugh, question, and marvel. Most of all, you search deep inside for the fortitude needed to endure the travel on a ship steered by a modern-day Captain Ahab and chart the direction of your life.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an early reader copy of this amazing book.
November 5, 2023
Unmoored is a story about an angsty teenage girl struggling to find happiness, love, and self-worth while dealing with difficult family dynamics, set in a tropical and maritime background in the late 60s and early 70s. Despite an unloving father, a checked-out mother, and competitive sisters, JR manages to find moments of love and connection with her family and glimpses of happiness as the family sets sail from San Francisco to the Caribbean.
JR describes her father as a man searching for happiness, trying to prove himself to his own, unloving, unsupportive father, feeling crushed under the weight of supporting his wife and four young daughters, while still daydreaming about his own desire to live a life less ordinary.
Much like her father, JR is searching for happiness and approval. JR and her father are both struggling with feeling trapped, unloved and unsupported by their family, and a desire to do something different with their lives. The few soft moments between JR and her father, i.e. when he pulls her in for a hug and calls her “Sport,” demonstrate this man really does love his daughters, but tragically doesn’t know how to show them.
In sum, Unmoored examines the dynamics between a father and a daughter, simultaneously struggling with their own search for happiness, meaning, and love. JR captures teenage angst with perfection -- everyone who’s ever been a teenager can relate to one of her experiences. Sibling rivalry, anger towards parents, searching for affection in the wrong places, finding moments of happiness in an otherwise difficult situation, etc. I’d love to read more stories from this dynamic young woman and her family; if she writes a sequel I’d love to see some photos (if they weren’t all burned!)
-An Aussie reader
JR describes her father as a man searching for happiness, trying to prove himself to his own, unloving, unsupportive father, feeling crushed under the weight of supporting his wife and four young daughters, while still daydreaming about his own desire to live a life less ordinary.
Much like her father, JR is searching for happiness and approval. JR and her father are both struggling with feeling trapped, unloved and unsupported by their family, and a desire to do something different with their lives. The few soft moments between JR and her father, i.e. when he pulls her in for a hug and calls her “Sport,” demonstrate this man really does love his daughters, but tragically doesn’t know how to show them.
In sum, Unmoored examines the dynamics between a father and a daughter, simultaneously struggling with their own search for happiness, meaning, and love. JR captures teenage angst with perfection -- everyone who’s ever been a teenager can relate to one of her experiences. Sibling rivalry, anger towards parents, searching for affection in the wrong places, finding moments of happiness in an otherwise difficult situation, etc. I’d love to read more stories from this dynamic young woman and her family; if she writes a sequel I’d love to see some photos (if they weren’t all burned!)
-An Aussie reader
April 4, 2023
At the outset, I thought I would be reading a tale of family adventure, filled with the romance of sailing the seas. I would learn about the world of sailing, with imagery of foreign ports in my mind.
While this book does include all of that, it is so much more.
It’s a coming-of-age story unlike any other. Written through the eyes of a teenage girl navigating the world, literally and internally, with all the postures of insecurity and rebellion, you feel her frustration with her life and you understand her longing to be seen and cherished and valued, while at the same time wanting to be independent and free.
Intertwined, it’s an account of a girl and her relationship with her father—angry, volatile, with unpredictable moods, willing to put his children in danger to live out his dream. The author conveys so well moments that are infuriating, touching, frustrating, funny. I felt I came to know each of the family members so completely. Even Heritage becomes an unforgettable character in her own right.
It’s a beautifully written story, filled with wonderful descriptions. I could picture every sunrise. When I came to the end, I thought of the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “It’s not the destination, but the journey.” While at times I felt infuriated with her father, apprehensive alongside her mother, fearful for her sisters, overall I loved that through all the difficulties, the author perseveres with her spirit intact.
I truly enjoyed this memoir and appreciate the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.
While this book does include all of that, it is so much more.
It’s a coming-of-age story unlike any other. Written through the eyes of a teenage girl navigating the world, literally and internally, with all the postures of insecurity and rebellion, you feel her frustration with her life and you understand her longing to be seen and cherished and valued, while at the same time wanting to be independent and free.
Intertwined, it’s an account of a girl and her relationship with her father—angry, volatile, with unpredictable moods, willing to put his children in danger to live out his dream. The author conveys so well moments that are infuriating, touching, frustrating, funny. I felt I came to know each of the family members so completely. Even Heritage becomes an unforgettable character in her own right.
It’s a beautifully written story, filled with wonderful descriptions. I could picture every sunrise. When I came to the end, I thought of the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “It’s not the destination, but the journey.” While at times I felt infuriated with her father, apprehensive alongside her mother, fearful for her sisters, overall I loved that through all the difficulties, the author perseveres with her spirit intact.
I truly enjoyed this memoir and appreciate the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.
September 26, 2023
Far from the genres I usually read, I was captivated nonetheless by the rawness of Unmoored. The beauty of reading a memior is that although you know the protagonist survives, nothing else can be guessed. No tropes and no worn out plot twists or neatly tied endings.
The author writes as her younger self with relentless honesty devoid of vanity. This, above all, reeled me in (I had to) and made me deeply invested in her journey.
What Umoored does is take you on that ride with our author. It's terrifying. Not only in a traditional way as you read about massive storms at sea and the very real possibility of disaster. But as a woman and mother of daughters, I also felt terror. Terror and heartbreak for the author being a teenager in a brutally unsupportive space and facing the vast unknown of adulthood alone. The mother in me just wanted to save her.
The author shares all of these experiences through beautiful writing with a respect for the experience as both what it was for her younger self, and what it is now as an adult looking back.
Highly recommend.
The author writes as her younger self with relentless honesty devoid of vanity. This, above all, reeled me in (I had to) and made me deeply invested in her journey.
What Umoored does is take you on that ride with our author. It's terrifying. Not only in a traditional way as you read about massive storms at sea and the very real possibility of disaster. But as a woman and mother of daughters, I also felt terror. Terror and heartbreak for the author being a teenager in a brutally unsupportive space and facing the vast unknown of adulthood alone. The mother in me just wanted to save her.
The author shares all of these experiences through beautiful writing with a respect for the experience as both what it was for her younger self, and what it is now as an adult looking back.
Highly recommend.
May 29, 2025
I discovered JR Roessi on the writing platform, Medium. When I saw her book “Unmoored”, I had to buy it. Her story, set in the 60s and 70s in San Francisco, is an adventure that most of us will never experience. Her family set sail on a two-year adventure aboard their boat, but it was no daydream trip. JR masterfully tells the story of a dysfunctional family, their mishaps, disasters, heartbreak, and the characters they meet along the way, all while weaving her unique narrative against the backdrop of the high seas. If you’ve ever dreamed of living a life like this, you might have second thoughts when you read this epic tale. Stunningly visual, a raw and honest memoir, beautifully written. It will capture your imagination.
March 26, 2023
I received an advance copy of Unmoored: Coming of Age, a singular story of a family of sisters, their difficult angry father, and a harrowing sail down the Pacific through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean on the sailboat they built. The writer, J. R. Roessel recounts her 16 year old self as she climbs the mast to make repairs, shares nighttime hours at the helm, survives cataclysmic storms, engine failures, and the splintering of not just the hull of the boat, but a family. The description of aquatic life and the natural world is a strength of this memoir. Having read this sea saga, I have deep respect for the author and her survival at sea.
May 13, 2023
This is about a young woman coming of age but for me, the connection was that it was an adventure story - a fascinating adventure story. I felt like I was on the ship with the family. I could not put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen next! A legitimate question in my mind was: will they all come out of this alive? The author's use of images and metaphors is extraordinary. Her beautifully written dialogue made me think I knew all of the people they encountered on the trip. It was like watching a video instead of reading a book. This is a gifted writer. I am eager to read her next book.
September 7, 2023
JR Roessl writes a great coming of age story that also includes her adventure in central America. She had a rough childhood and teenage years, but at the same time some wonderful experiences sailing.
Her and her family built the wooden 40-foot sailboat by themselves. The work ethic instilled by her father was too much but is inspiring too in some ways. It was a quick read and the characters and visuals are all fleshed out very well. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a good story that also happens to be true.
Her and her family built the wooden 40-foot sailboat by themselves. The work ethic instilled by her father was too much but is inspiring too in some ways. It was a quick read and the characters and visuals are all fleshed out very well. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a good story that also happens to be true.
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April 26, 2023Unmoored is a cleverly crafted autobiographical story that is compelling and beckons readers to challenge their own perspectives about ordinary and extraordinary aspects of life. I enjoyed reading about this family’s sailing adventures which elicited a broad range of emotions about parents, siblings, expectations and dreams. I found it relatable and inspiring. I look forward to seeing more published work from this talented author!
June 17, 2023
Read half of it before I could put it down. Every woman will relate to the family dynamics and angst that a teenaged Ms. Roessl goes through as the story reveals a peek behind the glamorous, dangerous and hard work behind private yachting. It's as if you're onboard, enmeshed in daily sailing life, which swings from peaceful and beautiful one day to back-breaking work the next. I'm already looking forward to reading any future books Ms. Roessl writes!
December 23, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed Unmoored by JR Roessl. The author’s portrayal of her family’s courageous voyage along the tumultuous waters of the Mexican Riviera, aboard a DIY vessel intended for calm New England waters, had me constantly at the edge JJ of my seat. It’s truly inspiring to see her growth into such an extraordinary person despite facing such remarkable challenges as she came of age. I really love books that inspire me to be better and this book definitely did that for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2024
Excellent book of the trials and tribulations of a family who goes off cruising on their sailboat. As a sailor and former cruiser myself (although as an adult) the author added a whole new dimension to my own experience as a cruiser while reminding me of the struggles and joys of the adventure.Told through the eyes of a teenager provided even a deeper experience with much more drama and humor.
March 23, 2025
Nothing heightens family dysfunction like boarding a boat and going long distance cruising. The author’s family, despite its brokenness, accomplished an amazing thing: building and sailing a boat from California to Trinidad in a time before GPS. All the things that go wrong on a boat can splinter a family.
, and this story tells of the splintering.
, and this story tells of the splintering.
April 2, 2023
I received a advanced reader copy of Unmoored. It's a page turner. The daily (even hourly) drama of a family sailing a small boat in the Pacific amplified by teenage girls confronting a dictatorial father. Loved the book and recommend it highly.
July 5, 2023
I wasn’t too sure about this book to start with - seemed like a lot of teenage angst. But I got sucked in and loved it in the end. Warning: she has what she calls a ‘sailor’s mouth’ so there’s quite a lot of f-ing and blinding..
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December 23, 2023This exciting memoir has you rooting for the young woman who employs her survival skills as the family embarks on an ill-fated sailing voyage. The reader is transported to both time and place as Roessl writing captures both the beauty and the dangers of living aboard.
March 16, 2025
excellent story of adventure and coming of age
This is a beautifully well written sailing adventure. I highly recommend it. Written by an adult about her childhood on a wooden sailboat built by her father as if it happened yesterday. I enjoyed every word.
This is a beautifully well written sailing adventure. I highly recommend it. Written by an adult about her childhood on a wooden sailboat built by her father as if it happened yesterday. I enjoyed every word.
May 2, 2023
I received an advanced copy and love every minute of it! The descriptions are perfect, the narrator trustworthy and lovable. Read it as soon as you can! Susan
May 28, 2023
I received an advanced reader copy and was taken from the start of this book. The author does an excellent job of taking you on this journey with her. The emotions, events and the struggles come to life in a such a seamless way that you actually feel like you are there. I found it easy to identify with her and it made me love the book that much more. I especially love the interwoven humor, grit and honestly without self pity.
This book is a must read! It isn’t just about a girl’s memoirs. It is about learning, coming of age, maturing and how the events in our lives shape who we are.
5 stars all the way!
This book is a must read! It isn’t just about a girl’s memoirs. It is about learning, coming of age, maturing and how the events in our lives shape who we are.
5 stars all the way!
April 25, 2024
A beautifully written memoir that transcends the decade it was written. Anyone who grew up with a man like her father may have flashbacks to their childhood, especially on a boat.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews