The Friends of the Seaside Library will host Brian Ratty, author of the historical novel “Tillamook Passage, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. Brian will be speaking in the Community Room and there will be book sales, signings, and refreshments.

“Tillamook Passage” begins in 1787 as two American ships, laden with supplies, set sail from Boston for the trip around Cape Horn to the Northwest coast of the U.S. Upon their arrival the traders encounter native villages on a large bay which Captain Robert Gray names Tillamook. The Indians are initially friendly but eventually attack and the sloop Lady Washington is sunk. When two members of the crew escape they are marooned in this remote and primitive land. Their struggle is an epic tale of clashing cultures, trust, love and conflict.

Brian Ratty is a retired media executive and a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography. He is an award-winning historical fiction novelist and has written numerous articles about the Pacific Northwest.

Seaside Public Library is located at 1131 Broadway, across from the Youth Center and Swimming Pool.