Book Description

Set on the island of Chincoteague, Virginia during the Civil War, The Sea Is a Thief tells the story of a dangerous courtship between Sam Dreher, a young Union sailor serving on a gunship sent to protect the island, and Anna Daisey, a Chincoteague girl whose gifts as a wildlife artist are beginning to blossom. By the time a jealous rival exposes the clandestine romance, their love has grown so strong that they defy an approaching gale to steal one last day together. In the chaos wrought by the storm they are lost to each other. As the long war rages, Anna clings to the hope of her lost sailor's return, refining the artistic skills she has learned from her mentor, the island's reclusive medicine woman. Sam, stranded behind Confederate lines and injured terribly, can survive only by stealth, courage, and a most fortunate encounter with the Underground Railroad. A century and a half after it was fought, we have come to know the War Between the States as series of debates, campaigns, and battles won or lost. The Sea is a Thief offers a new perspective from the dusty lanes and muddy channels of an oystering island in Virginia, chronicling its effects on a captivating crew of hardy watermen, rogue hunters, moonshiners and merchants. At the center of the storm stand an unlikely young couple who desire only to love each other in peace. Of course, the beloved wild ponies of Chincoteague play a central role.