Michael C. Hurley watched his world unravel after he became involved in
an extramarital affair that ended his 25-year marriage. In August 2009,
short of money, out of a job, and deeply in need of some perspective, he
took to the open ocean in a 32-foot sailboat, the Gypsy Moon. The story of his 2-year outward odyssey, deterred by rough weather and mechanical troubles, combines keen observations, poignant thoughts, and deeper introspection with glorious prose.
I am an honest to goodness graduated with my master’s in library and information science librarian so I have read many books over the years. I normally do not read much non-fiction but when a tale of an ex-lawyer that decides to take a journey on his boat came along I knew that I could not resist. Not to mention I just love the book cover art. I am a sucker for good cover art and this one has to be one of the best I have seen in a while.
Michael Hurley seemed to have it all. A wife and two kids with a good career as a partner in a law firm. He admits to having an extramarital affair that was to end his marriage, loose trust with his children and then a drop in productivity that leads to the law firm asking him to leave. He has found his rock bottom when he is doing laundry at the laundromat “next to college kids in backwards baseball caps and flip-flops, with the smell of marijuana wafting down the hall.”
His love for sailing never left him so he decides to go out on a solo journey to find himself. Admitting to the affair is brutally honest and almost makes you hate Hurley in the beginning. He starts out in Annapolis and heads down the East coast towards Florida. Rough weather and mechanical issues causes him to come ashore where he happens to meet, Susan, his future wife. The story then almost takes on a romantic turn as he continues on his sailing journey. His story ends with in a surprising but exciting way.
It took me a while to finish through
the book even though it is a short read. I kept putting it down and
putting off finishing it. His story is powerful and I enjoyed reading it
but I had a hard time connecting enough to want to finish it. I appreciate
how he writes honestly and how he took me along on his journey. The
thing I did not like was all the nautical jargon. He would then spend
lengthy sentences explaining nautical and sailing terms. It took away
from the his story by messing up the flow.
Overall it was a good read and I do appreciate reading an honest memoir of someone that does something that most may only dream of. The idea of living on a boat for that long both frightens and intrigues me. Hurley gave me insight to what it would be like to live aboard a boat for a lengthy time and in a way showed me how it could help give one a deeper sense of ones self and shows me what is really important in life.
Overall a very deep and heartfelt reflection about a man’s loss, taking risks and finding ones self through it all. It would make a great summer read while relaxing on the beach, safely on shore.
Connect: You can connect with Michael Hurley on his website and his facebook page.
You can connect with Center Street on their website, facebook or @CenterStreet on twitter.
Buy It! You can buy Once Upon A Gypsy Moon by Michael Hurley for the list price of $19.99 and is currently on sale over at Amazon for $11.89.
