The novel Sailor Girl brings a few twists to the tradition of tales set on the seas.
It’s 1981 and art student Kate McLeod signs up for a summer job aboard the freighters on the Great Lakes. A rebel at heart, and the youngest among a handful of women on the ships, she eagerly embraces the challenges and freedoms that come with a life lived in close quarters with rough-edged sailors.
Sailor Girl (Porcupine's Quill) is based on author Sheree-Lee Olson’s own experiences. Born in Picton, Ontario, Olson financed her university education by working on the Great Lakes freighters during the summers. Now a writer and editor at the Globe and Mail, Olson has published fiction and poetry in various literary magazines.
Author Katherine Govier loved this salty tale: “Olson understands the appeal of tough sex and wide open water. She's got a great ear, too. Here is a book about a girl rebel written in prose that cuts to the quick.”
What did Ian Brown and his guests on Talking Books think about this book? Listen as panelists David Ferry, Walter Learning and Catherine Gildiner steer us through this raunchy, rollicking summer ride.
First aired June 21, 2008 on Talking Books. [runs 26:10]
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