A Star to Sail Her By

Book excerpt: In 2003, casting their fortunes—and their lives—to the wind, the Ellison family embarked on what they thought would be a one-year voyage on their forty-seven-foot sloop, Promise. Five years and more than 25,000 nautical miles later, the family of four returned to the United States and dry land. In this memoir, author Alex Ellison chronicles his family’s adventures on the seas. Culled from a detailed daily journal that Ellison began keeping at the onset of the voyage when he was just eight years old, A Star to Sail Her By reveals his transition from enthusiastic child to capable sailor and reflective young adult. He learned two important lessons as they traveled from port to port: not everything always works the way it should, and change is really the only thing you can count on. “A Top 5 Book Pick” —Yachting Magazine “A Star to Sail Her By is sure to entertain and inspire people who dream of adventure.” —Jennifer Castle, editor, PBSkids “Ellison’s earnest, genuine style is reminiscent of Robin Graham’s in Dove. In crafting a twenty-first century bildungsroman at sea, with a tender family spin, he’ll leave you positively envious.” —Richard King, PhD, professor of literature of the sea, Williams College “A terrific tale of an unbelievable upbringing.” —Clint Grantberry, KLIF, Dallas, TX “In and of itself, this memoir of a 25,000–nautical mile voyage is informative, entertaining, and eye-opening. That a high school student wrote it is astounding.” —Meredith Laitos, editor, SAIL