All Nathaniel Boyd wants is to be left alone on his Cape Cod salt marsh. His hopes of marriage with Meredith Butler died years ago, shortly after the accidental death of his youngest brother, Jacob. To make matters worse, Nathaniel's other brother, Finn, grows more and more bitter everyday.
Nathaniel and Finn come together when their father asks them to sail a schooner down from Boston to Yarmouth Port harbor. The brothers offer passage to a young girl who ends up causing chaos for all the Boyds. In this unsettled atmosphere their father dies, further upending the world as they know it, forcing Nathaniel to take command and sail his own ship.
'[T]he narrative benefits from rich regional and period details.' — Publishers Weekly
'There is real life in Sarah Anne Johnson's new book, and genuine family drama too, all grounded in an authoritative evocation of old Cape Cod's waterways, marshes, and waterfront towns. The Last Sailor is memorable, clearly seen, and deeply felt.' — Jon Clinch, author of Marley and Finn