This is an impressive book written by an impressive author. Philip Caputo served in the marines; worked as a foreign correspondent; was held hostage in Beirut; shared a Pulitzer Prized in 1972; was wounded in Beirut while working for the Chicago Tribune; wrote two memoirs “ A Rumor of War” and “Means of Escape”; wrote four novels and 3 novellas (Exiles). THE VOYAGE is not a manly book aimed at men or even young men.  It is meant for everyone! I can’t begin to say how moved I was at this tale.

It’s June at the turn of the century, just off the shores of Maine a father, Cryrus Braithwaite, is rowing out to his small ship. His sons Nathaniel, 16, Drew, 13, and Eliot, 15 are curious as to why their father is coming to the ship with only the clothes on his back while they are prepared for sailing.  Nathaniel being the oldest has noted that since their stepbrother Lockwood arrived their father has been in a black mood. If you are wondering where their mother is, she is in Boston fairing well from an illness their father is keeping secret. When they are all settled the father tells them to head out to sea alone and not return until September. When his sons complain Cyrus almost weakens but instead gives a bitter laugh, says, “It’s a new century” and rows away leaving them stunned and frightened.

This is how thirty-eight-year-old Sybil hears the tale of her late father's family history. To her this is like a page torn out of a missing diary, with a gap in the middle -- the impression that the beginning had an earlier beginning and the ending left the listener suspended, expecting more. Sybil visits a relative who repeats the history for her, and as he does we the readers relive what the boys experienced on their three-month voyage, which ends in Cuba. It’s not pleasant – it’s heartbreaking.  Once through the history of “the voyage” Sybil’s relative tells her that her family is a generation of parents who destroy their young, but he swore that he nor anyone else in their family knew the true reason, the true secret as to why Cryrus sent his sons on that deadly voyage. Not able to accept this, Sybil and a friend have a trial of sorts.  And the witnesses are those who lived in the past.  The reader is taken through each characters history and shown how they played a part which lead to “the voyage.”  I’m pretty sure you will be as shocked I was.

An Excellent read!