A Master Of Craft

"A Master of Craft" by W. W. Jacobs is a late 19th-century story set on a schooner, where the lives of its crew and a young woman named Poppy intertwine in unexpected ways. The beginning shows Poppy's surprising visit to the ship and her flirtatious banter with the mate, Mr. Fraser. As the story moves forward, Poppy's connection with Captain Flower, who has a complicated love life, builds tension. This tension, combined with a watchman's worries of strange events and the captain's hidden actions, suggests there are tangled relationships and mysteries to be discovered on the wharf and at sea, creating a mix of humor, suspense, and a view into the world of sailing.