A Voyage in the Sunbeam : Our Home on the Ocean for Eleven Months

Deemed by the "Wall Street Journal" as one of the five best books about female adventurers, "A Voyage in the Sunbeam" is a collection of Annie Brassey's journal entries of her voyage around the world with her family (husband and four children), crew (38 members), two dogs, three birds, and a "charming Persian kitten" (who disappeared early into the voyage) aboard a 157-foot steam-powered yacht. Starting at noon on July 1, 1876, they sailed from England and visited South America, the South Pacific, Asia, and the Middle East, returning back home on May 26, 1877. A best-seller in its day, with its descriptions of exotic locales and ship life, this book was even used as a textbook in the United States. Sumika and Ushio are best friends. Athletic Sumika has a secret that she cannot confess - she's in love with Ushio, who only loves girly girls, or so it seems. Ushio and Sumika continue their lovesick woes in the third installment and many Whispered Words still remain unspoken.