Twenty Years Later

Many characters in the novel sail or are critically connected to boats. Avery and Christopher have sailed their entire lives, from Connie’s camp through to the present, while Cameron and Tessa Young took Victoria and Jasper Ford on sailing trips, and Dom and Natalie Ratcliff have built their wealth on cruises. In each case, sailing and boats represent freedom or release from everyday pressures, which takes on different significance for each group of characters. For Cameron and Tessa, sailing is their downfall, as Victoria uses sailing knots to implicate Tessa in Cameron’s murder, subverting sailing’s association with freedom.

For Avery and Christopher, sailing initially represents freedom from the city and from their family’s wealth, with Avery reflecting on her summers at Connie’s camp as a release from the ostentatious wealth and opulence of Garth Montgomery’s lifestyle. Sailing continues to provide an escape from the pressures of their lives, with Avery noting that she tries to sail at least once a week. In the end, it is on a sailboat that Christopher finds his freedom, as he sails around the Caribbean under a false identity to avoid potential prosecution for his role in Garth’s crimes. Previously, it was through the sinking of Avery’s sailboat that he was able to fake his death and escape that same threat.