Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Emerald is a novel of adventure written by Garry Richardson. Sam Richards had embarked upon a journey that would have tested the mettle of many a younger and less experienced seaman. While he was now ninety-five years old, Sam’s decades of sailing the seas stood him in good stead. He knew how to read the skies to predict storms, and could anticipate every reaction his vessel would make in response to the demands of the sea. As he began his journey, his mind kept traveling back into the past, revisiting the decades that had comprised his life. Now, she had called out for him, and he was determined to make the voyage at any cost.

Sam had been a pilot with his own plane who flew in air shows when he first met Macy McCoy. He and his best friend, Alex, had left their native South Carolina for a bit of sun and surf on Tybee Island in Georgia. As they watched the girls sunning themselves on the sand, Sam’s attention was drawn to a collection of small sailing crafts that were getting ready to embark. He soon discovered that it was a regatta for the Tybee Cup, which had colleges from all over the East Coast participating. Macy was one of the sailors for Duke’s team, her craft narrowly missing the victory, and the two fell easily in love.

Garry Richardson’s maritime novel of adventure, Emerald, is an enthralling tale about a sailor and the woman whose love for the sea was never quite enough for her to commit. Emerald is a treat for anyone who loves adventure, travel and the seas, but it’s also a compelling and well-written family saga that charts Sam’s life from his late teens through his nineties. I loved visiting the foreign ports of call with him, and especially enjoyed those passages in the book where he was alone with his ship, the elements and his memories. Richardson’s tale is taut and well-plotted, and the reader can’t help but get involved in the stories surrounding Sam and those he loves. Emerald is most highly recommended.