Fourteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival

Leslie Johansen Nack has written a book that is part sailing adventure, part coming-of-age story, and part memoir of surviving the kind of family we call “dysfunctional,” a word which doesn’t nearly capture the pain and confusion living in such a family causes. Her particular challenge: negotiating......more

I do not recall what it was that prompted me to pick this book up yet I am glad I did. A very enjoyable story of the lives of three young girls and their rather formidable force of a father in his own Norwegian way....the words domineering and controlling come to mind. In many ways it reminded me of......more

I enjoyed this book because of its authenticity, honesty and attention to detail. The author took her time in laying the groundwork for the great journey she, her sisters and their father were embarking on, so that by the time they actually left for their trip, I was full of trepidation about how it......more

In Fourteen Leslie Nack shows she has a true talent, a nack, for making her reader want to keep turning the page. I stayed up all night reading her story. Such a harrowing tale of an unconventional family; life on a rickety boat with a father who is lovable one minute and abusive the next. I can’t w......more