The second book in the trilogy Anchors in an Open Sea, by Dyana Wells, is Buddha and a Boat. Once again the backdrop is the Pacific ocean, with hiking and cycling adventures alongside romance and family difficulties. Vanuatu and New Caledonia are the new playgrounds.
Alice’s older children are trying to sort out their lives, grappling with mid-life issues and the meaning of life. Meanwhile Alice and her new man are tossed about in a relationship as stormy as an ocean monsoon.
The struggles of Alice are interwoven with her learnings from previous times. As she remembers sailing experiences with her father Roger, her son Oliver discovers old journals that cause him to doubt Roger’s sunny view of life.
From the psychobabble of the 60s and 70s, by way of traditional Buddhist teachings, to the new-age communities of now, the three generations start finding answers. Or have they just started to ask the right questions?
And does Alice’s twin sister Marion have answers?
The rich tapestry of interwoven stories in Buddha and a Boat explore and bring alive the many ways we encounter and deal with life’s issues. And does Alice – mystic scientist, loving mother, confused lover and rebellious daughter – have enough answers to balance her out-of-the-ordinary life?
