Wind and Sand: or Not Your Usual Holiday — Eric Wilson

A short story set in islands of shifting sand and winds that brought thunder and lightning. These are just a few elements in the strangest of summer holidays. This is a story about a sailing adventure set just before World War II and one that almost changed the course of history. Although it is a historical fiction, it could have happened. Eric thought he had landed the perfect summer job, second mate on a sailboat, cruising on the North Sea. Little did he know that he would be putting his life in danger. It was the summer of 1938. Canada was in the throes of the Great Depression and Eric was desperate to make some good money. He was just finishing high school and needed to get funds that would pay for his university years. Just then Eric noticed an ad in the paper wanting applicants for a job in England and he applied. But what followed would take all his resourcefulness as he travelled across Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, England and the North Sea to come face to face with Adolf Hitler in a sailing regatta. This short story is a collaboration between grandson and grandfather, concocted one dreary wet November evening. The conversation went something like, Let's write a book. Well maybe we could start with a short story. Sure! And we could illustrate it too. What would you like it to be about? This short story is the result, a historically researched, plausibly accurate, true to the criteria that the grandson set that night. It is also a perfect example of the creative and writing process for any age.