Blow The Man Down: A Romance Of The Coast

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

24793

Title

Blow The Man Down: A Romance Of The Coast

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set against the rugged New England coast, this maritime romance follows Captain Boyd Mayo, a reserved New England sailor whose rigid honor clashes with his consuming passion for Alma Marston. Blending nautical peril with emotional turmoil, the story explores themes of duty, deception, and redemption as Mayo navigates a plot involving sabotage and high finance. Ultimately, he finds true love and a new purpose with Polly Candage, transforming from a man haunted by past mistakes into a hero who saves...

Summary up to 500 words

In Holman Day's 1916 novel *Blow The Man Down: A Romance of the Coast*, the disciplined New England sailor Captain Boyd Mayo finds his life upended by a sudden, overwhelming passion for Alma Marston, the daughter of wealthy Wall Street financier Julius Marston. Their romance blossoms aboard the yacht *Olenia*, yet it is soon threatened by a catastrophic disaster involving the schooner *Warren*. After the vessel is lost with the crew, Mayo is falsely accused of negligence and forced into hiding to protect Alma's reputation. Mayo's journey of redemption begins when he is rescued from a shipwreck by Alma, an act that forces him to confront the truth: the disaster was not an accident but a deliberate act of sabotage orchestrated by the corrupt manager, Mr. Fogg, under the orders of Alma's father. Realizing the depth of the corruption and the danger Alma faces, Mayo makes the painful decision to leave her. He finds solace and a new path with Polly Candage, a local girl who risks her life savings to help him. Together, they assist in recovering the wrecked steamer, the *Conomo*, and exposing the villains. The novel explores themes of honor, sacrifice, and the clash between rigid societal expectations and genuine human emotion. Mayo struggles with his conscience, fearing he has insulted his own sense of decency, while Alma grapples with the conflict between her love for him and her family's financial interests. The narrative highlights the dangers of unchecked corporate greed, as the 'high finance' world of Julius Marston is revealed to be complicit in criminal acts carried out by underlings like Fogg. Ultimately, Mayo redeems himself through bravery and sacrifice. He rejects the corrupt world of the financiers, choosing instead to stand with Polly. The story concludes with Mayo finding genuine love and honor, having cleared his name and brought the corrupt financiers to justice. Through his ordeal, he learns that true love is built on mutual understanding and the willingness to sacrifice for one another, leaving him with a restored sense of self and a bright future.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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data/epubs/pg24793.epub

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Categories

• Adventure
• Romance
• Fiction