Mike Hartner - I, Mary

35. I, Mary by Mike Hartner (2015)
The Eternity Series Book 3
Length: 255 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 16 October 2015
Finished: 29 October 2015
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 10 September 2015
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Mary Crofter has spent the majority of her life on the water. Since the age of two, she has felt the call of the sea, and has always had an affinity with the ocean that most people could never understand. Her first trip aboard a ship was when her parents, James and Rosalind Crofter, sailed from her birthplace of Kilwa in Tanzania to Portsmouth, England. This was shortly after Mary's first birthday in 1635.

At the age of twelve, Mary is finally allowed to realize her greatest dream in life - she becomes an honorary crew member on one of her father's trading ships. Mary is absolutely delighted to be given such a chance, but she still has her doubts. While she has been on several trips from Portsmouth to London and other ports as well, Mary knows that she still has a very long way to go before she is accepted entirely.

Despite having such an affinity with the water; and sailing with her parents, will Mary be able to survive on the water? Will people ever take her seriously as a sailor? Is a girl truly competent enough to sail with a crew of men? Mary only knows that she will never know the answers to these questions for certain unless she takes the plunge.

And yet, once she does, will Mary ever tire of the sailor's life? Will there ever come a time in her life when she will want to come off the ocean and eventually settle down? And if she does settle down, will the lure of the ocean ever prove strong enough to draw her back?

I must say that as with the previous two books in the series, I absolutely loved I, Mary by Mike Hartner. In my opinion, the plot  was well-developed and fast-paced; and I was drawn into the story right from the beginning. The characters were extremely likable, and I connected with them all rather quickly.

I'm not sure if there will be a sequel to this book, but I certainly hope so. I'm invested in each of these characters and the time period, and avidly want to know where the story will go from here. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often