Cruising with Strangers

A fter her travel partner is sidelined Marlene embarks on a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands, alone. An anxious, introverted widow, she has reservations about the solo trip but meets a number of interesting shipmates and soon finds herself embroiled in the lives of some, with issues including gender dysphoria, spousal abuse, terminal illness, depression, and midlife-romance. She and her dinner mates share their lives, their excursions, and concerns for each other, particularly when the ship stops in the middle of the night to search for a suspected overboard guest. Although memories of previous trips to Hawaii with her husband are often clouded with sadness, Marlene disembarks the cruise with a new confidence and new friendships.