Rough Passage to London: A Sea Captain’s Tale
By Robin Lloyd
Sheridan House, 2013
Hardcover, 368 pages
Author Robin Lloyd had no intention of writing a historical novel when he began researching his seafaring ancestor Capt. Elisha Ely Morgan. He had inherited a letter from Charles Dickens to the captain as well as several others from Dickens to the captain’s son and wanted to know more — more about Morgan, his connections, and more about this iconic age of Atlantic commerce.
His new novel, Rough Passage to London, is the fruit of his labor and follows the young Morgan as he goes to sea with the hope of finding his lost brother. The journey follows his career as a sailor and captain to his rise as manager of the Black X Line. Lloyd’s beautifully written novel paints a detailed portrait of Morgan, his mates and contemporaries, and shipping in an era when trans-Atlantic packets ruled the waves.