In 1896, a young boy, Thomas Paisley, leaves his English farm at age fifteen for an adventurous, albeit dangerous, life at sea. He gives up his inheritance as the oldest son to follow his dream, as his restless nature dictated, defying the advice of his older and more experienced parents. Through his adventures he befriends another boy from a far different background, but their friendship blooms through shared hardship and often deadly experiences. The “ever-changing sameness” of the sea reflects the ever-changing sameness of life. The more things change, the more things stay the same.

About the Author

J. W. Paisley was born in Canada and moved to the U.S. in 1972. His wife Dianne, daughter Christa, and son Michael were all born in the U.S. As a boy, he had several jobs to help pay his way. One of this first was being a deckhand on a scow on the Detroit River. After university, his adult working life was spent working for one company designing, building, and installing sophisticated automated conveyor systems for the automotive and industrial industries. Along the way, he became involved with healthcare and joined the board of a major non-profit hospital system, eventually becoming chair of their quality committee and vice-chair of the system.

He has had a life-long love of boats and the water. He grew up on an island and was able to swim and manage a boat at a young age. He used this passion to help understand his grandfather’s motivation and desire to leave the comfort of his fam and go to the sea.