Author Description

Becky Coffield's quest to master rowing and practice in wild places yields many adventures which she details with humor and verve, especially her detailing of the preparations - mental, physical and material - that rowing requires. The author also provides an excellent account through photographs and description of the creative adventure of her husband building the boat and its trailer. Coffield writes with a strong, clear voice. That alone would separate The Old Folks in the Boat from most new books. Her blending of anecdotes, history and technical information makes her effort a superior one. Most interesting, however, is the presence of an unspoken theme which emerges in the book's last sentence. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Life is a journey, not a destination," and Coffield galvanizes the complacent person with a simple question that has subtly teased the reader throughout the book: What Are You Waiting For?