Fourteen

Leslie is fourteen in 1975 when she and her two teenage sisters batten down the hatches on their forty-five-foot sailboat to navigate from San Diego to French Polynesia-a difficult journey that also puts them at the mercy of the stormy temper of their abusive, larger-than-life Norwegian father and captain.

Leslie Johansen Nack is the author of three award-winning books: her debut memoir, Fourteen, its sequel, Nineteen, and her historical novel, The Blue Butterfly. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in English literature and overcame past traumas to raise two children in a healthy, loving home. Nack is a member of The Authors’ Guild, The Historical Novel Society, and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. She lives outside Seattle with her husband of thirty-five years. You can find more about Leslie and her work at www.lesliejohansennack.com.