Carol Newman Cronin has had two loves in her life since she was a child —sailing and writing. Her greatest sailing achievement occurred in 2004, when she won two races for the United States at the Olympics in Athens, Greece. Triumph as a writer came in 2008, when she published her first book, Oliver’s Surprise.

Cronin Carol Newman Cronin is shown at the Newport (R.I.) International Boat Show, where she signed copies of her new book.



“I originally wrote it as a Christmas story for my 12-year-old nephew, and then I thought, ‘Wow, this could be something more,’” Cronin says.

The book follows the adventures of Oliver, a 12-year-old who gets transported back in time to just before the infamous Hurricane of 1938. Oliver’s dilemma is that if he tries to warn people that the hurricane is coming, he risks erasing his own future.

Cronin decided to continue in the same vein with Cape Cod Surprise: Oliver Matches Wits with Hurricane Carol, ($9.95, GemmaMedia, 2010). The sequel debuted in July 2010.

Cape Cod Surprise places Oliver once again on the schooner Surprise, this time battling Hurricane Carol in 1954 and using all of his skills to get back to his own time. Woven into the story are illustrations, charts and diagrams that create a sailing primer amid the captivating adventure.

Cronin grew up sailing out of Woods Hole, Mass., with her family on a 38-foot 1970 Morgan named Katrina. Cronin lives with her husband in Jamestown, R.I., and they sail their 1938 Herreshoff Marlin as often as they can. For more information, visit the GemmaMedia website.

snd_logoxsm Elizabeth Ellis is a staff writer for Soundings Magazine. This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue.