This was a wonderful historical fiction novel by Ann Howard Creel.

Freida and her sister Bea are orphaned at a young age. Freida is not the typical young woman growing up in the 1920’s. With no interest in marriage, Freida is more interested in being on the sea. Freida makes it her goal to provide a good life for Bea no matter what - which brings her to rumrunning in the age of Prohibition.

I loved that this book has a strong woman main character. I loved that it provided some insight into a time I haven’t read much about. It also has a little suspense and romance sprinkled in. This isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author (While You Were Mine was another great read), and it wont be my last.

I discovered this book on facebook, when someone mentioned it was their favorite book. I downloaded and listened to it while on vacation in September. Set close to where I am currently living, this book was a pager turner!

This is one of my favorite novels of 2017. I wish I knew who recommended it to me so I could share this feedback with her. Please let me know if you read this book. The writing, pace of the story, the character development, it's all lovely.

My review is posted to goodreads.

Very enjoyable...interesting to following the opinions and actions of the variety of characters during such a different time setting.

There was something about The Whiskey Sea (Lake Union Publishing), by Ann Howard Creel, that drew me in the second I read about it.  Originality at it's best; I had never come across a book that was about a young girl repairing boat engines and taking part of the prohibition in a sea side small town.
     Frieda and her younger sister Bea are left orphaned at a young age and reluctantly taken in by the one man they believe has done them no wrong.  He teaches them the ways of the sea and Frieda falls in love with the sea wanting to follow after her "father" who would like her to have a more traditional life.  She learns to work on engines and uses her new found skills to make some quick cash during the prohibition.  She aims to make a better life for herself and her family, to the scrutiny of those she loves.  Will her past haunt her and will her tenaciousness ruin her future.  The different ways that grief and heartbreak effect those in the same family is always so intriguing. 

     I appreciate that Creel (almost) didn't sugar coat things. 99.9% of the book is real life, hard times, how am I ever going to get through this type of stuff.  The last page, maybe not so much, but even that wasn't perfectly perfect.

Overall I truly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

The Whiskey Sea was published August 23, 2016.