Bering Sea Strong: How I Found Solid Ground on Open Ocean

Bering Sea Strong: How I Found Solid Ground on Open Ocean

by Laura Hartema
Bering Sea Strong: How I Found Solid Ground on Open Ocean

Bering Sea Strong: How I Found Solid Ground on Open Ocean

by Laura Hartema

Hardcover

$22.99 
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Overview

Full of unusual characters, mischief, camaraderie, and testosterone-fueled man gossip.

Bering Sea Strong is a tale of adventure and self-discovery. The story portrays a young woman on a solo journey, pushed to the edge of the earth and further from the weight of family—marked by divorce, death, disability, and depression—and a life she desires on land.

Locked at sea for ninety days as the lone female trying to tuck in tight alongside twenty-five rough-and-tumble commercial fishermen in Alaska, Laura Hartema offers a rare glimpse into the intertwining worlds of a fisheries observer and the crew she works beside. She graphically illustrates the challenges of daily life and relationships in a way few have seen before. Her story provides an unprecedented portrait of the bizarre and entertaining human dynamics aboard an at-sea catcher-processor vessel, where men battle dangerous working conditions, loneliness, and boredom while rivaling for the attention of the only woman.

Between trough and crest, Laura ponders the trauma and tragedies of her Midwest childhood as her capabilities and resilience are regularly tested. She is often left deciding when to “blow it off” and when to “blow a gasket.” In the end, the tumultuous Bering Sea is where she finds the strength to overcome the wounds of her past, embrace life’s uncertainty, and steam ahead into the unchartered waters of her future. Bering Sea Strong demonstrates one woman’s determination to overcome obstacles in pursuit of a satisfying career and a better life.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781510731516
Publisher: Skyhorse
Publication date: 03/13/2018
Pages: 208
Product dimensions: 5.80(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Laura Hartema was born and raised in Chicagoland and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from College of the Ozarks in Branson, Missouri. The challenging work and adventures depicted in Bering Sea Strong led to Hartema’s present career as an ecologist focusing on stream and wetland restoration. Her passion for her work and love for nature spills into her community, where she leads volunteers in stream enhancement efforts. She encourages others to seek inspiration, beauty, and humor in her blog, Love This Day (www.LauraHartema.com). Hartema resides in the Seattle area and spends much of her time outdoors embracing Puget Sound and the Cascade and Olympic mountains.

Table of Contents

Prologue xi

1 Boarding 1

2 The Tour 14

3 Departure 20

4 On the Move 27

5 Leaving Home 35

6 Training 45

7 Standing Tall in Man Boots 53

8 Camaraderie 74

9 Never Give Up 91

10 Sister Ship 100

11 Danger 111

12 Black Cod, Orcas, and Horses 125

13 Birthday Wishes 133

14 Turn and Burn 144

15 Downward Spiral 159

16 Mutiny 178

17 Bering Sea PTSD (Post-Traumatic Sea Disorder) 186

18 Girl Time 192

19 Sink or Swim 196

Epilogue 206

Acknowledgments 210

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