Denver Post bestseller

ward-winning author Irv Sternberg sets his sights on the high seas in the pre-Civil War period and brings it to life with a cast of unforgettable characters in a rousing sea-faring tale of courage and determination, loyalty and betrayal, and love and loss.

 Still excited by the discovery of gold in California but torn by the slavery issue and fearful of an impending war, Americans in the mid-1850s watch proudly as the U.S. forges to the forefront in building and launching a fleet of breathtakingly beautiful clipper ships, the envy of all sailing nations.Into this exclusively male-dominated domain steps 18-year-old Elizabeth Godwin, the strong-willed daughter of a Boston merchant. Determined to shape her own destiny, Elizabeth makes a stunning decision that will forever alter her life.

The quest for ever-fast sailing vessels is at fever-pitch when Elizabeth meets David Chance, captain of the sleek clipper,Neptune's Chariot. On a voyage that takes them around the world, Elizabeth battles the crew's traditional suspicions of a woman aboard their vessel and, in the process, discovers the woman she was destined to become.

 In a tale inspired by a true event, Elizabeth, David and a cast of memorable characters recreate an almost-forgotten period in America's glory years of tall ships.