D. Robert Hardy found the boat of his dreams on a trip to Sydney in 1977. She was just what he’d been looking for, and he’d been looking for some time already. The Nash Bon, once the Constellation, and a passenger ferry, was a 1930s wooden beauty, all classic lines and brass fittings. Hardy purchased her and renamed her Lady Guinevere. Some months later, he impulsively applied for a position as a patrolman for the Fisheries Department in Bella Bella. He hadn’t really expected to hear back from them. So he was shocked when a uniformed man turned up one day and ordered him to report to Bella Bella in two weeks’ time. It would be a long trip up treacherous coastline, in a thirty-six foot boat. Hardy hesitated, aware of the danger, but he was twenty-seven years old and felt the need for one last adventure before settling down. So he set off.
What followed was a much a spiritual journey as a physical one. On his voyage north, Hardy was to learn much about the world and about the people and creatures we share it with. He chronicles his exploration of the British Columbian coast, in all its danger and glory. Hardy faced the perils of the sea, the swells and blinding fog and near disasters but gained a new appreciation for the quiet moments, and the breathtaking beauty of the universe. During his time with the Fisheries Department, he experienced magical encounters with creatures such as orcas and wolves, and reveled in the incredible serenity and loveliness of untouched lands.
Hardy’s tale of maritime adventure is fascinating and exciting, reminiscent of the explorers of old. No one can think of those untamed lands and the wild ocean without longing to rush out and be a part of it, to see it as they saw it. Hardy brings his experiences to life, with beautiful descriptions–sometimes serious and reflective and sometimes humorous. The book does need editing for proofreading errors and such, but it’s so interesting and well-written that it hardly matters.
D. Robert Hardy’s RAVEN’S APPRENTICE is a great and compelling story, both nuanced and vivid, that will leave readers wanting to head off on adventures of their own.
~Heather Stockard for IndieReader