Mary Jacobs, Fishing Boat Captain and Author of She Takes the Helm, at Newport Public Library on June 17

Newport Public Library is pleased to welcome Mary Jacobs, author of She Takes the Helm, on Wednesday, June 17 from 4 PM to 5 PM in the McEntee Meeting Room of the Newport Public Library, 35 NW Nye St., Newport. Jacob’s memoir chronicles her journey from a cannery worker to an Alaska fishing boat captain, breaking gender barriers in the male-dominated commercial fishing industry while leading an all-woman crew.

Moving to Alaska for adventure, Mary Jacobs’s job—and pay—at the cannery fails to excite. When she begins working on a fishing vessel, she is hooked. But in this man’s world, if women get hired, they usually cook, clean, and do unimportant jobs. Mary aspires for more. Much more. Determined to command her own fishing boat, despite rejection and setbacks, Mary works tirelessly, expands…