Maiden Voyage

Julia, a conventionally brought up young woman, is surprised when she lands a job in 1924 as secretary to a rich, retired newspaper baron, who plans to take his new yacht on a trip around the world. Julia's blasphemous boss is tyrannical but brilliant and, despite bouts of seasickness and loneliness, she learns much on this year-long voyage. Julia comes to love and admire the OM (old man), as the crew calls him, and seeks his counsel as she weathers high seas and a stormy romance.

Review Highlights

McLaughlin is a clear-eyed and observant writer and her evocation of 1920s Washington and the exotic ports on Julia's trip–Madeira, Zanzibar, Singapore and the South Pacific–is fascinating. But McLaughlin is more interested in charting Julia's mind and heart, offering a kind of artist novel of her development as a journalist and fledgling photographer. Julia wrestles with questions that are as vital today as they were in 1924...a woman's satisfying career or marriage and a family...Julia's answers to those questions are even more important than the itinerary that gives this engaging novel its lasting satisfactions.
–Signature, WNBA

If Nancy Drew were a young reporter instead of a sleuth, she’d be a dead ringer for Julia MacLean, with her stylish clothes, chic bobbed haircut and intrepid spirit of adventure. McLaughlin’s protagonist is a naive, 22-year-old Southerner who accepts a position as secretary to Sam Dawson, a retired newspaper mogul setting out on a year long trip on his yacht, the Sophia....

With opportunities to do so, Julia hones her writing by writing travel articles and taking pictures at the various ports of call... Her path keeps intersecting with that of a hunky young scientist, but romance and ambition prove difficult to juggle. On parallel maiden voyages, Julia and the Sophia both weather storms to emerge battered and worn, but triumphant. Inspired by her mother’s trip around the world with E.W. Scripps in 1924-25 and capturing the spirit of the times with her use of contemporary terms.... McLaughlin’s novel offers a pleasant diversion.
–Publishers Weekly

Bigger than Julia’s imaginings, bigger even than Dawson’s empire...the story of a small group of people out in the wilderness of the ocean and foreign lands, finding their limitations and their brief moments of glory is a satisfying and moving one.
–Rosalind Brackenbury, solareshill

Ordering Information

Maiden Voyage is available at good bookstores everywhere. It can also be ordered through John Daniel & Co. by calling 800-662-8351 or by using their online form. Click here for information and to go to the form.