The Shell and the Octopus

A Memoir

By: Rebecca Stirling

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Paperback | 11 August 2022

At a Glance

Paperback
296 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.5 x 14.1 x 2.9

Paperback

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This is the story of Rebecca Stirling’s childhood: a young girl raised by the sea, by men, and by literature. Circumnavigating the world on a thirty-foot sailboat, the Stirlings spend weeks at a time on the open ocean, surviving storms and visiting uncharted islands and villages. Ushered through her young life by a father who loves adventure, women, and extremes, Rebecca befriends “working girls” in the ports they visit (as they are often the only other females present in the bars that they end up in) and, on the boat, falls in love with her crewmate and learns to live like the men around her. But her driven nature and the role models in the books she reads make her determined to be a lady, continue her education, begin a career, live in a real home, and begin a family of her own. Once she finally gets away from the boat and her dad and sets to work upon making her own dream a reality, however, Rebecca begins to realize life is not what she thought it would be—and when her father dies in a tragic accident, she must return to her old life to sift through the mess and magic he has left behind.

Industry Reviews

"A poignant and lyrical read that will ring true with sailors and interest landlubbers."
-Kirkus Reviews

". . . conveys a message of hope, clarity, patience, acceptance, understanding, and non-conformity to the reader. The author makes the reader think and re-think actions and incidents that helped shape their own life. A most interesting memoir."
-Readers' Favorite, 5-star review

"The Shell and the Octopus is an insightful coming-of-age memoir about a strong and compassionate woman. Raised by her unstable father aboard a thirty-foot sailboat, Rebecca Stirling's haphazard adventures allow her to make peace with herself in a dangerous and gorgeous world. She is an everywoman, and yet not like anyone else you've ever met."
-Leslie Johansen Nack, author of The Blue Butterfly

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