Quotes:
"A gem of a book that is worth reading
more than once. In her rich prose, Scherer weaves memory, experience,
human relationships and the joys of sailing into such an intricate
tapestry that each reader will discover something new. Her observations
will offer insight to anyone who has ever suffered through trauma and
undertaken a journey toward redemption. I, for one, take my hat off to
this survivor who demonstrates with such honesty that from the darkest
night we can still emerge to fully live our own story.”—Heather
Freckman, Sailing Magazine
"Scherer, an
award-winning writer who survived a near-fatal attack and rape in a
Seattle laundromat, recounts joining the otherwise
all-male crew of the 34-foot sailboat Eagle on the 200-mile Spirit of
Adventure Around Admiralty Island Race in Alaska. Her quest to
rebuild her confidence is her primary subject. . . . Scherer brings the race to life.”—Seattle Times
"The lone woman in a crew of
six, she is put into a situation that will test both her skill as a
sailor and her courage as a person. Unexpectedly, it also offers her
the opportunity to test her recovery and stretch her spirit to where
she can accept, and, ultimately, enjoy risk and adventure as she once
did. Her description of the process of rigging and sailing are clear
and engaging as are her examinations of herself and her past. The crew
successfully completes the race without winning it, but Scherer truly
is a winner as she heals herself and experiences joy.”—Booklist
“Three
years after Scherer was raped at knifepoint in a Seattle laundromat,
she resolved to overcome lingering fears and tensions with her husband
by participating in a 200-mile sailing race out of Juneau, Alaska.
. . . As a
story of hope and survival, hers is universal.”—Publishers Weekly
"This is a
good book, not to be read as a novel but more like a road map. . . . Throughout
life there are situations that happen that will knock the wind out of
our sails or run us aground. Sometimes it may seem that darkness is
consuming us. For Migael and the rest of us, I like how the book
ends. She doesn't know what lies ahead, but another voyage and more
adventures await. She knows that she and Paul will face their
adventures together.”—Ken Carter, Good Old Boat
“After her
sense of safety among humans had been shattered, Scherer felt alone.
Somehow, the violence and surprises of the natural world broke down
that isolation.”—Bellingham Herald
"There is no question as to her boating qualifications,
she has been there and done that. She also has a comfortable way of
explaining this lifestyle to those who lack the knowledge of this
realm. Her sense of humor will bring smiles to those who are already
part of this community.”—Lowtide
"Scherer details the challenges and, ultimately, exhilarations of being
the only woman in a crew of six aboard a sailboat in a five-day race in
the Alaskan waters near Juneau. She leaves her husband behind and
courageously faces the race, the men and the inner demons that have
bedeviled her since her rape. What emerges is a gripping tale of
nature and psyche.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Migael Scherer's account of crewing a sailboat race
through the Alaskan fiords is part adventure story, part retrospective
memoir —all lyrical, bracing prose. . . . Wise and elegant, Back Under Sail poses tough questions against the
author's unerring knowledge that life is an unpredictable voyage
—across dangerous waters, through extraordinary beauty, towards hope."—Colorado Springs Independent
"This is a true story of hope and
survival. Three years after a rape at knifepoint at a Seattle
laundromat, and trying to understand the process of healing, Scherer
signs on as crew for a 321-km race around Admiralty Island in remote
Alaskan waters. Through sailing, she hopes to recapture the qualities
of a full life and to move from simply surviving to thriving. The race,
its wilderness setting and the camaraderie of a shared effort with her
fellow crew members let her contemplate and come to terms with the violence
that exists alongside beauty in both the human and natural worlds.”—Pacific Yachting: Boating in British Columbia.
“An experienced sailor, Scherer rediscovers her
younger, 'saltier' self and the wonderful sensation of being 'alert to
what was happening yet without anxiety about what might happen next.'
Scherer is an excellent writer whose prose is as smooth, taut, and
efficient as a well-trimmed sail. The descriptions of sailing are
captivating. But this is not really a book about a sailboat race; Back
Under Sail is a book about fighting back, about reaching into the
depths of one's own power and emerging scarred but whole.”—Body &
Soul
"Take a tour of the Alaskan fjords while navigating the
equally challenging and unpredictable course of a life changed by
trauma and loss.”—Latitudes & Attitudes
