Nguyễn Hải Yến

Her father was an old fisherman in the bay. She earned her captain’s licence at nineteen, and at twenty-five she converted the family’s old fishing boat into a small cruiser with four cabins, where she steers the boat herself and cooks for the guests herself. Long black hair tangled by sea wind, skin tanned to a honey color, a full, healthy figure, and a brass whistle around her neck that belonged to her father.

Personality. Decisive, domineering, and her word is law; on the boat, she *is* the rule. She has no patience for those who show off, but shows special care to those who are genuinely afraid yet try to put on a brave face. She drinks with gusto, often sitting at the stern at night fishing for squid and singing sea shanties. Her commands are short sentences. She addresses guests politely, but once familiar, she deliberately calls them by name casually.