Letter from Grant Brown, Jr., Author - Ninety Years Crossing Lake Michigan: History of the Ann Arbor Car Ferries

Deckhand is the bright, stimulating story of a young man's adventures as a green deckhand on a Great Lakes freighter.  As he finds his way, the reader learns about life on the boats and the Great Lakes shipping industry in a way he never could otherwise.

The authors give an intimate look at daily life aboard a bulk freighter and, in so doing, an understanding of the bulk shipping industry.  The reader sees the daily routine of the Great Lakes shipping world through the eyes of an eighteen year old, who finds himself performing a wide variety of jobs, most which require more physical effort than he ever imagined, and hours extended to whatever time it takes to get the work done.  He meets challenges, gains the respect of the crew, as he and the crew gain respect of the reader.

The authors have done a remarkable job of depicting life on the bulk freighters, with a glimpse of the industry itself, through the eyes of an eighteen year old.  I found the story captivating from beginning to end as I gradually understood more and more about the demands, physical and mental, of life aboard a freighter and about the industry.

Deckhand is a well written chronicle of the adventures of a young man on a Great Lakes freighter.  As he masters his responsibilities and discovers more about the Great Lakes shipping industry, the reader does as well.  The book is a stimulating view of the physical and mental demands of a relatively low level job on the Great Lakes freighters as discovered through the eyes of an eighteen year old young man.

Thanks very much for the opportunity to read the book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and believe it will be a big success.

Sincerely,

Grant Brown, Jr.