An interesting story with two levels and several good characters. On one level, Maiden Voyage is the well-paced story of a young woman's around-the-world adventure and journey from innocence to maturity.On a deeper level the story is about the universal longing for love and acceptance. Each character, male and female, longs for a love they don't have. In the beginning, their yearnings are as much for self-validation as for affection.As the novel unfolds, some characters use the journey and its lessons to distinguish between wanting love and needing love. Others, as in real life, never undersatnd that constant yearning creates more emptiness than not being loved.