Don’t Put the Boats Away

In the aftermath of World War II, the members of the Sutton family are reeling from the death of their “golden boy,” Eddie. Over the next twenty-five years, they all struggle with loss, grief, and mourning. Daughter Harriet and son Nat attempt to fill the void Eddie left behind: Harriet becomes a chemist despite an inhospitable culture for career women in the 1940s and ’50s, hoping to move into the family business in New Jersey, while Nat aims to be a jazz musician. Both fight with their autocratic father, George, over their professional ambitions as they come of age. Their mother, Eleanor, who has PTSD as a result of driving an ambulance during the Great War, wrestles with guilt over never telling Eddie about the horrors of war before he enlisted. As the members of the family attempt to rebuild their lives, they pay high prices, including divorce and alcoholism―but in the end, they all make peace with their losses, each in his or her own way.

Author: Ames Sheldon

Publication Date: August 27, 2019

Categories: Award-Winning, Fall 2019, Fiction, Historical Fiction

Description
About the Author

Description

2022 Firebird Book Award Winner for Current Events
2020 American Fiction Awards Winner in Family Saga
2020 American Fiction Awards Finalist in Women’s Fiction
2020 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Historical
14^th Annual National Indie Excellence Award Finalist in Women’s Fiction
2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Historical Fiction

“Sheldon’s evocative prose and compelling sense of the sweep of history grabs attention from page one.”
—Booklife

“Compelling..full of verve and determination. A rich historical novel that examines the slow acknowledgement of women’s rights.”
—Foreword Reviews

“Ames Sheldon’s beautiful novel brings us on a journey with characters that come alive on the page, reminding us how far we’ve come in our fight for equality and reproductive health in this country. It’s easy to forget what life was like for women before birth control was readily accessible . . . Sheldon’s engaging writing is an important reminder of what’s at stake today.”
—Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood North Central States

“Using a deeply researched, imagined diary from the early twentieth century and a crisis point in the life of her main character six decades later, Sheldon deftly juxtaposes the experiences of middle-class women around marriage, childbearing, professional opportunities, and reproductive rights. Readers will be caught up in Cassie’s story, her hard decisions . . . and come away with a much deeper understanding of the depths and the human costs of the long struggle for reproductive rights and its centrality to the unfinished fight for gender equality.”
—Sara M. Evans, author of Born for Liberty: A History of Women in America

“A thoughtful exploration of the complexities of abortion and reproductive freedom. Ames Sheldon’s characters draw you in as Cassie and her great-grand aunt Kate each navigate their own journeys. A great read.”
—Jennifer Childs-Roshak, MD, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts

“Don’t Put the Boats Away is chock-full of well-researched historical details about political events, medical advancements, and even food trends of the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, and it also offers important commentary on professional opportunities for women during these decades. Overall, it’s a touching tale that examines the ways in which grief, regret, and unmet expectations can reverberate through generations.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Don’t Put the Boats Away is an impeccably researched and simultaneously heartfelt novel about what it was to be a woman and a scientist in the wake of the Second World War. The world needs more novels like this.”
—Louisa Hall, The Carriage House, Speak, Trinity

“Reading Don’t Put the Boats Away is like being enveloped in a family, a real family bound by love and loss, music and science. It’s a testament to the danger of secrets and the hope we place in future generations. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
—Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, Eden and The Nine

“Don’t Put the Boats Away is a richly detailed family saga of the Suttons’ post-WWII lives—and a wonderful sequel to Ames Sheldon’s first novel Eleanor’s Wars. Ames’s knack for period authenticity is paired with a keen portrayal of the inner lives of major characters that transcend common narratives of ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s America. Complex relationships, dedication to music, science, and family loyalty, and the haunting legacy of war even on privileged families make this a compelling read.”
—Barbara Stark-Nemon, Even in Darkness, Hard Cider

About the Author

Ames Sheldon worked as a reporter for two small-town newspapers in Minnesota before becoming lead author and editor of Women’s History Sources: A Guide to Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States, which ignited her passion for studying and writing about the history of women in America. After that, Sheldon ventured into the world of creative nonfiction, writing grant proposals and raising funds for the Sierra Club in San Francisco, the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, the Minneapolis Public Library, and a variety of other nonprofits. She lives with her husband in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.