Fiction and non-fiction can at times go hand in hand 鈥� 颅reading both at the same time can greatly enhance each book if you are fortunate enough to discover a pair of books that link together.
Through these recent 颅sweltering days, all I could do was sit in front of a fan with an ice pack on my head and read, first a chapter in the novel The Difference by Canadian author Marina Endicott (2019, Penguin Random House, Vintage sa国际传媒), which takes place on the high seas in the early 1900s, and then a few selections from The Sea & Civilization: A 颅Maritime History of the World by Lincoln Paine (2013, Random House of sa国际传媒 Limited), 颅specifically on steamship travel on the North Atlantic.
I often daydream of travel, both past and future, mostly in the past, in the days when Air sa国际传媒 served meals with cloth napkins, when everybody smoked on the plane (not that smoking was a fine activity, but I do recall the haze in the cabin), when the affable pilot invited children into the 鈥渃ockpit,鈥� now referred to as the flight deck, and when there was no security! Remember when we all dressed up for the airline journey? My mother used to make me wear a dress.
Travel at that time was such an event, and had such a feeling of worldly romance, of adventure and elegance, and that you were being taken care of.
The Difference tells the story of a young girl called Kay who makes two voyages, the first by sail, around the world in the merchant ship The Morning Light, whose captain is married to her older sister. The latter is a rather prudish God-fearing young lady who tries to do the right thing (I won鈥檛 give the story away here, but what she does is extremely topical for today). The story focuses on Kay鈥檚 honest, radical (for that time) and questioning outlook on life, and although it has a slightly melancholy tone, it has a lovely ending.
The adventure begins in Nova Scotia as The Morning Light leaves port in the tiny seaside town of Yarmouth 鈥渙n the early tide and ran with a light wind south along the shore 鈥� Teal green water foamed and bit at the breaking prow in front 鈥� sails filling to a taut curve.鈥�
The gentle descriptions of ocean travel, the ports, the 颅people and villages around the globe pre-First World War are fascinating 鈥� descriptions make up a large part of the book.
As Kay buys 鈥渃amiknickers鈥� and a serge skirt at a Boston department store, the narrator describes 鈥渢he brown bulk of the building, great glass doors glowing with brass and interior golden light. Beautiful doors, sectioned like an orange in a skin of brass hoops, went round in a glass drum.鈥�
In the second part of the book, the story becomes more 颅energetic. It begins back in Nova Scotia, and tells of Kay鈥檚 second voyage by steamship, this time with her brother to right past wrongs.
The plot revolves around Gottingen Street in Halifax, a section in the north end of town known for its rough, sooty 颅grittiness. I once did a book reading there at a dark and filthy pub. My friend Wally was worried that his car would be on blocks when we left the pub (but all was well).
Kay鈥檚 second ocean journey is on a ship powered by coal, where stokers shovel coal endlessly in the 鈥渋nferno below decks鈥� 鈥� the intensely researched book of maritime history contains a photo. In the novel, 鈥渢ons鈥� of coal is stored with livestock between the decks. The narrator observes that 鈥渢he journey of a steamer was a constant tug-of-war between coal and time: will there be enough to get the ship to shore[?]鈥�
I enjoyed the delightful descriptions of Kay鈥檚 life on board, opening her little window, writing her post cards, or sitting on her sofa 鈥渨hen the steward knocked to inform her that she was down for the first sitting.鈥�
Times have changed.
My first (and only) ocean cruise, pre-COVID, was on the Baltic. I thought I had a handle on my food obsessions until this cruise. There were pastries in the bow cafe, sweet cocktails by the pool, huge steaks in the 颅dining room, smoothies on the side deck 鈥� I could not escape!
There was a casino, as well, between the pasta bar and the ice-cream 鈥減arlour,鈥� all pink and silver with bells ringing and a bartender constantly wiping the plastic bar, in the dark, under a purple lamp. I almost abandoned ship in Helsinki.
Last week, ocean cruises began again. You can purchase a T-shirt that says 鈥淰accinated and Ready to Cruise.鈥�
