I expected this book to be fun and juicy since it was recommended by Jen Lancaster. I bought it to read on my summer vacation. Boy, was I disappointed.
It was obvious to me that Janna is a new writer. It seemed like she couldnt find her voice or what she wanted this book to be...chick lit? A tourist guide about the South Pacific? A deep, thoughtful memoir? She gave way too much dull information about sailing and history of islands they went to, and not enough interesting anecdotes about love or juicy details about her own relationship. I found myself skimming over a lot of the pages.
The only reason I finished this book was because I paid full price for it, so I was bound and determined to see it through. It took me a couple months because it was so dry, except for the last 3 chapters which were beautiful where the writer finally SAID something worth reading.

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It took me a while to really "get" this book. The writing style bothered me in the beginning but ironically, in the end it became part of the reason I enjoyed it. The author's choice of words/puns intrigued me.

There were a few parts that made me laugh out loud (literally), but I will admit there were a few parts that I had to skim over. The author's sailing terminology can get a bit old if you aren't very interested in the subject, but the overall book was one of my favorites that I've read lately.

I did find it a bit weird to know that the author & her husband seemed to have a lot of problems relationship-wise but yet they kept sailing together despite their issues, but it did make me realize that many relationships could be compared to a boat at sea. Sometimes life can be smooth & quiet, but other times storms can cause waves & problems. Sometimes you just have to keep going even if life isn't always easy.

I'm hoping that the author writes a sequel. I'm curious to know what her next adventure will be.

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Hopping off the hamster wheel daily grind to sail away to Margaritaville is a common dream. For most this nautical desire never goes beyond the fleeting thought stage. For Graeme and Janna Cawrse Esarey it was reality for two and half years. Stuck in a relational and career rut, Graeme and Janna decide to embark on a B-HAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal): to sail away to the South Pacific.

The Motion of the Ocean is more than just a travel-adventure drama, however, rather it is a real life love story set on the Pacific Ocean. And just like the unpredictable course of the ocean waves, so too are the currents of couplehood. Esarey's writing is at turns confessional and deeply moving. She admits that "sometimes the space between people feels totally innavigable . . . . Right now I'm having a hard time just navigating the islands of me and Graeme - the person I love, the person I thought I knew best in the world." Later, she discovers that "even though the honeymoon ends, so too, do the storms. We just have to stick around long enough."

In other parts, the memoir reads more like a comedy. When describing their Labrador retriever Scout's refusal to be "sailbroken" Esarey channels Dr. Seuss: "She will not pee on a mat. She will not pee on a hat. She will not pee on a boat. She will not pee on a coat. She does not like our green mat plan. She does not like it, Janna and Graeme."

After the trip's termination, Esarey reflects upon the accomplishment of many personal goals: escaping her workaholic lifestyle; fulfilling her youthful dream of sailing to the Southern Cross; and finding her personal purpose (becoming a writer). While Esarey takes pride in these achievements, she professes that, "It's not so important what Graeme and I did . . . its more important how we did it . . . . By giving to each other, by relying on each other, by seeking support when each other wasn't enough." In short, "life's biggest, hairiest, most audacious goal . . . [may be] Figuring out how to make love last.

The Motion of the Ocean is the perfect Staycation read!

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