It’s 1981, and Sylvia Taylor has signed on as rookie deckhand on a wallowy 40-foot salmon troller. Looking forward to making money for university, she is determined to master the ins and outs of fishing some of the most dangerous waters in the world: the Graveyard of the Pacific. For four months, she helps navigate the waters off northern Vancouver Island, learning the ways of fisherfolk and the habitat in which they breathe, sleep and survive.

The politics of selling fish, the basics of tying gear, near-death experiences, endless boat troubles, the emotional perils of sharing cramped quarters—all are part of a steep and unforgiving learning curve. Taylor’s story captures the reality of life on a fishboat and documents the end of an era, a time when the fishing industry wasn’t yet marred by unchecked overfishing or hyper-regulation. Her lyrical, simple prose explores the tight-knit relationship of fishers with the west coast’s wild, untamed waters. Her memoir bursts with all the humour and hell, peace and upheaval that is the Pacific Ocean.

Sylvia Taylor is an award-winning author, editor, and educator. In addition to her first book, The Fisher Queen: A Deckhand’s Tales of the BC Coast, she has published over four hundred articles and literary pieces in various publications. Taylor currently sits on the board of the Arts Council of Surrey and is a past president and former executive director of the Federation of BC Writers. She teaches writing-related programs and has served on the jury of numerous literary competitions, including the 2013 BC Book Awards in Creative Non-fiction. She lives in White Rock, BC.

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