The Mover: Travels of Charles Wilkins 1838

The Mover is fictional of history of Charles Wilkins, a young carpenter from the English Midlands, emigrating to the American Midwest in 1838. Securing passage on the merchant ship, Adam Fletcher, he is asked by the ship's captain to take over the medical duties of the injured ship carpenter. Setting a broken leg of an injured sailor, Charles impresses fellow traveler Kate Hale, the captains niece, who is returning from a year with cousins were she has learned the etiquette and habits of an English lady. Their friendship becomes a voyage-long love affair. Fellow traveler, reverend Fishbourne, explores with Charles troubles facing lower English classes, especially alcoholism, while observing Fishbourne has a drinking a problem. The last of four passengers, Blanchard, a Wedgwood pottery salesman turns out to be someone other than what he represents, and a key figure in a crime affecting Kate, Charles and the ship's captain. Atlantic winter storms, a knock down blow, dangerous ice, superstitious sailors, cold food and seasickness were encountered on the days at sea. Friendship of the first mate, Corey Bigelow allows Charles time at the helm. High above the deck in the crow's nest, he learns ocean travel through the eyes of a sailor, not just a paying passenger. Crossing the Allegheny Mountains in late winter, highway robbers, a wrecked stage, a frightening river crossing, and the voluptuous daughter of a U. S. senator were part of his travels to the American interior. The vision of this novel came from an 1831 family diary. My interest in history developed early, before I received a B.A. in history at the University of Virginia. As a youth, cash earned from a paper route, funded the purchase of my first sail boat at age 15. In my summer college years, I was dock and harbor master, and sailing instructor at a Long Island yacht club near New London, Connecticut. Later I owned a 32' sail boat, enjoying sailing beyond the sight of land. Recent trips to the English Cotswold's, Midlands and the coast of Ireland took me to areas covered in this book. I have traveled over the routes and visited the communities Charles saw in his travels from New York to the Midwest.