The Yoga of Sailing, by Dyana Wells
The Yoga of Sailing is the first book of the Anchors in an Open Sea trilogy.
Alice, her eldest daughter Emily and her elderly father Roger embark on sailing adventure from New Zealand to Fiji and beyond. It doesn’t go according to plan with Alice often wondering out loud whether her father is up to it physically and mentally. She also has doubts about the sea worthiness of her father’s boat Dream-Maker.
Alice has always had an adventurous streak often taking her not very willing children, as they were growing up on tramping trips. While not particularly willing at the time these trips remain in their memories as adults.
Alice is one of these people that just can’t sit still exploring alternative lifestyles going on retreats, learning yoga. Her adventures have taken her cycling, tramping and sailing.
Living in close quarters on board Dream-Maker, family relationships become taunt with friction. Alice’s solution when moored at some safe haven near port is to go camping or catch a bus to get away.
Romance takes place in the form with an infatuation with an American Cornelius – a man with complex issues of his own. Alice’s search for fulfilment often makes the reader wonder why she came on this sailing adventure in the first place. To live in close confines with family is hard enough at the best of times without friction continually bubbling under the surface.
I have no sailing background but having lived in a city surrounded by water I’ve often been on boats – mainly ferries going to the different islands in the Hauraki Gulf. The review for the second book is below.
Buddha and a Boat, by Dyana Wells
Buddha and a Boat is book two in the trilogy Anchors in an Open Sea.
We continue the story of Alice and her romance and often stormy relationship with Cornelius. There are many facets to his character but he seems to have deep seated anger issues related to his mother. He often takes his frustration out on Alice. She finds him frustrating along with dealing with her father Roger and his on again, off again sailing schedule. Roger seems to almost daily change his mind as to what his plans are. Throw into the mix his jealously of Cornelius and you have a very complex set of relationships: perhaps they might catch the next flight out of paradise?
Alice’s children later on in life are starting to have real life issues. They have to cope with the death of their father while dealing with issues from their past that seem to filter through their life as adults.
Alice’s twin sister Marion traveled with her children to join them on part of the sailing adventure with their father, but the story gets mixed up with the past and the present.
I’m not sure how I feel about books like this – flicking between what is the here and now and the past. On the other hand, I did enjoy this book, almost crying when Alice’s father died while she accompanied him back to New Zealand on his much loved Dream-Maker and his consequential burial at sea. Anybody who has lost a parent can empathise with Alice and the grief she must have felt.
Books reviewed by Christine Frayling
The Yoga of Sailing
by Dyana Wells
Published by Fiery Scribes
ISBN 9780473373863
Buddha and a Boat
by Dyana Wells
Published by Fiery Scribes
ISBN 9780473373917
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