From the moment of our first steps, our lives revolve around finding our way through the world. The author has spent much of her life on the open sea, experiencing firsthand the practical and philosophical consequences of navigating through uncertain waters. In a collection of poems, the author gathers the wisdom gained from life on the ocean.

Holly J. Hughes, a salmon gillnetter, mariner, naturalist and poet, explores this koan in "Sailing by Ravens." Drawn from more than thirty seasons working Alaska waters, these poems explore her love of the sea, the history of navigation, and how to trust the knowledge of ravens and monarch butterflies. Hughes navigates the wavering, certain path of a woman s heart. This collection offers wisdom culled from direct experience and careful attention: How will she learn to ride the swell, let the earth curve her? Her question opens us to possibility and takes us along in her quest to chart her own course."