Today we talk about Trimming the Sails, a book by Jeanne Pickers published with our Publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Jeanne Pickers, to get to know her better, what particular moment of her life led her to the writing of her book Trimming the Sails, as well as the significant life experiences which find expression in her book.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where and when did you find the inspiration to write your book?
Trimming the Sails, is my second memoire. Although it is a stand-alone story, it follows on progressively from my first, “One Settler, One Bullet.” This was a detailed account of my life on a farm in South Africa, where I was born. The inspiration for Trimming the Sails came in waves, both literal and emotional. I began writing while sailing in Southeast Asia after surviving the tsunami in Thailand. In quiet moments on board “Katrine” I continued writing letters as I had done before, to my daughter, Kathi, who had died just before the boat was completed. I would tell her of the adventures and the people we met and would reminisce about the past. It was a way of coping with my grief, of staying connected to her, and trying to make sense of all the trauma we had been through. The book grew from those letters, and I began to realise that my story could possibly help others who were experiencing similar trauma.
- What is the message you want to convey to your readers?
The message I would like to convey to readers, is that no matter the adversities life throws at us, one’s attitude can change the outcome. Very often there is nothing that can be done to prevent circumstances happening, but the way we react can have either a positive or a negative result. As the front cover of my book says, “We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails”. Even in the wake of unimaginable loss, life can still offer meaning, connection, and beauty. Trimming the Sails is about navigating grief not by avoiding it, but by embracing it. Through letters to my daughter, I discovered that healing isn’t about forgetting but rather remembering with love and gratitude. I want readers to know that resilience doesn’t always roar; sometimes it whispers. I wrote this book to show that grief doesn’t end. It evolves. And in that evolution, there’s room for growth, for adventure, and for unexpected joy. I hope readers see that even when life takes a devastating turn, we still have the power to choose how we move forward.
- What significant life experiences find expression in your book?
Trimming the Sails, is born from the heartache of the loss of my daughter Kathi. I learned to navigate not only a life at sea, but also a life that had changed through tragedy. Writing to her was a way of keeping her close while I chartered these unfamiliar waters, literally and emotionally. What began as a practical escape from violence and political unrest in my home country, became a spiritual journey. Every hardship, every sunrise, every island encounter, every community or sailing person we met, influenced my life All these experiences are metaphors for the inner journey of rebuilding my life after loss. Though deeply personal, this story speaks to anyone who has faced upheaval. It’s about finding purpose in pain, and discovering that even in the aftermath of devastation, there’s room for wonder. It’s not just a sailing memoir, it’s a meditation on resilience, memory, and the quiet strength that emerges when we’re forced to rewrite our lives.
- What sensations did you feel by ‘reading’ such life experiences on the pages of your book?
Reading my own life on the page felt like standing at the edge of a familiar ocean; vast and humbling. Sometimes I felt the sting of old wounds, and other times the gentle breeze of memory. I felt grief rise like a tide, but also the quiet triumph of survival. Each letter to Kathi was both a release and a reckoning. I didn’t just revisit the past, I relived it, with all its rawness and beauty. I felt the sting of grief as if freshly cut, but the warmth of love as if Kathi were beside me again. Each letter I wrote to her became a lifeline. There were moments of quiet triumph, too, as I saw how far I’d come: from the chaos of loss to the calm of resilience. The pages didn’t just tell my story, they allowed me to feel it all over again, with honesty and the quiet strength that comes from choosing to keep going.
- Are you working on a new writing project, you can tell us about?
I am, and it’s a project that feels like a natural evolution from Trimming the Sails. There are still so many stories to tell especially on our travelling adventures, both on land and by sea. While Trimming the Sails explored grief and resilience through the lens of ocean voyages and letters to my daughter, this new work turns inward and outward at once. It’s a reflective narrative that weaves together stories of displacement, belonging, and the quiet reinventions we make later in life. I’m exploring themes like:
- Rootlessness and renewal: What it means to start over in a new country, culture, and phase of life.
- How past experiences shape our present choices, especially when the familiar is gone.
- The writer’s voice in transition: How storytelling itself becomes a form of anchoring.
- It’s still early days, but the tone is more meditative less about survival and more about synthesis.
Europe Books thanks the author, Jeanne Pickers, once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book Trimming the Sails. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my readers, may this book be a source of inspiration and fill you with positive energy to face life’s challenges, trying to embrace them, even if this may represent effort and pain. Never give up!
So, my dear readers, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!