Tillamook Passage

Book excerpt: Tillamook Passage is a novel for young adults. The story is historical fiction about the maritime trade of sea otter pelts and the Northwest coastal Indians. In 1788, the sloop Lady Washington, commanded by Captain Robert Gray, discovers native villages on a large, pristine bay which Gray names after the Indians: Tillamook. Barter with the natives, initially friendly, gives way to a surprise attack. During the ensuing battle, two young sailors become separated from the ship, and must hide from the marauding Indians. When their sloop vanishes into a foggy sea, they are marooned in a remote and primitive land. Their struggle, playing out against endless forests, rugged mountains and bountiful waters, is an epic tale of clashing cultures, fate, trust, and love. Tillamook Passage is a thrilling testament to the iron wills, brave hearts and sharp wits of the gritty jack-tars who came before us. Two worlds...one destiny.