The summer I was 23, I was nursing a new baby in an apartment in Calgary’s Hillhurst-Sunnyside while my husband studied at U of C. I battled sleeplessness, waves of people on the LRT, and high prices at the Safeway across the street. It was a joy filled adventure, where beauty was in baby’s smile.
The summer Sylvia Taylor was 23 she nursed drunken fisher folk, studied the ways of the ocean, battled sleeplessness, ill-fortune, killer waves, the high prices of goods at the fish camps and the low stocks of fish that were to pay those bills. It was a joy and terror filled adventure, where beauty was in sea creatures and unexpected kindnesses.
Sylvia’s story of determination and survival, hard-work and discipline, failure and success as one of the few female deckhands in BC’s commercial salmon fleet is likely a fascinating read for anyone who’s ever spent time on a fishing boat, but it’s both intriguing and astonishing for someone like me, who dislikes everything associated with ocean. I am astounded by Sylvia’s pluck and wild adventures. You wouldn’t have caught me on that boat for love nor money (and she got neither for her efforts).
I don’t envy her the experience, but I was glad she shared it with me.
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Here’s Sylvia herself, reading an excerpt. You’ve got to love that sultry voice! 🙂
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PS. Well, okay, I do kind of envy the experience with the dolphins. 😉
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Shawn L. Bird 