Rough Passage to London is a riveting tale of intrigue, danger, and adventure told in the tradition of Patrick O’Brien and C.S. Forester. In this fascinating novel, Robin Lloyd brings his ancestor Ely Morgan and the seafaring world of the 19th century vividly to life. Lloyd’s meticulous research and masterful storytelling ability transport the reader back to the days before steamships, when a boy who ran off to sea faced a harrowing life of relentless toil and frequent peril in the unpredictable seas of the North Atlantic.
The book details the life of Ely Morgan, who left home to escape an abusive father and made it his lifelong goal to find the brother who was lost at sea. The book recounts Morgan’s determined climb from cabin boy to shipmaster and owner. Along the way, it deals with many of the vital issues of the day, from slavery and abolition to the opium trade. It also offers fascinating glimpses into the lives of many of the era’s great personages, as Morgan was acquainted with such notables as Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, Joseph Bonaparte, and the artists Leslie, Constable, and Landseer. He entertained Queen Victoria on one of his ships, and made more than 100 crossings as captain of the packet ships that sailed back and forth across the Atlantic, ferrying passengers, cargo, and mail from the Americas to England.
Morgan’s search for his brother is difficult and dangerous, and it takes decades to come to its conclusion, bringing him into contention with some of the leading criminals of the day — and also with their aristocratic patrons.
Rough Passage to London is a worthwhile addition to the library of any lover of seafaring adventure or mystery and intrigue.
(I received a review copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.)