Author Cynthia Elder at PPL: Tales of the Sea

Join us as we welcome author Cynthia Elder for a personal glimpse into the lives of a real seafaring family during the final chapter of the Great Age of Sail in the years leading up to and through the Civil War. Her two-volume historical novel, Tales of the Sea, is grounded in original letters, ship’s logs and personal journals from her husband’s family.

Tucked away for more than 150 years, the documents reveal the inner thoughts of working sailors and their families who braved years-long voyages aboard great wooden merchant ships. Their stories intersect with the experiences of soldiers and slaves as the United States split apart at the seams.

About the Author

Cynthia Elder has sailed the waters of Narragansett Bay and beyond with her husband and daughters for 30 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from Roger Williams University and a Master of Public Affairs from Brown University. She is now working with both universities to research a freedom seeker whose remarkable narrative of flight from slavery and life as a ship’s cook was found among family records. Elder serves as executive director of the Barrington Land Conservation Trust.