“Sea Wife,” by Amity Gaige. Knopf. 288 pages. $26.95

“Sailing can lull you to sleep or scare the pants off you. It can be anticlimactic as when you are in doldrums or suspenseful when in a challenging ocean.

“I was drawn to ‘The Sea Wife’ as a sailor myself. Having lived and sailed in New England and the Republic of Panama, I felt connected to the novel’s locations. The thought of needing to survive at sea by myself is frightening and would be a true test of my limited sailing skills. ‘Could I do this?,’ I asked myself repeatedly as I followed the dialogue. I know I would not rely on a foolhardy husband, as Juliet did. I know I have more knowledge and assertiveness than to engage in such a terrifying and reckless undertaking as woefully unprepared as Juliet and Michael.

“The first sentence pulled me in at, ‘Where does a mistake begin?’ I’m still pondering that question and will every time I take to the water for the rest of my life. A thrilling and suspenseful read to the very end!”

— Merrilee Wilson, West Bath