Or, 'The Star-Gazer'.
Una Spenser is an enchanting protagonist: a deep and wayward creature, undaunted by convention, intellectually curious, sensitive and imaginative, and whilst her marriage to Captain Ahab is certainly a crucial element in the narrative of 'Ahab's Wife', the story covers vastly more territory.
After a spellbinding opening scene, the tale flashes back to Una's childhood in Kentucky; her idyllic adolescence with her aunt and uncle's family at an isolated lighthouse; her adventures disguised as a cabin boy on a whaling ship; her first marriage to a fellow survivor who descends into violent madness; courtship and marriage to Ahab; life as a mother and a rich captain's wife in Nantucket; and involvement with a community of freethinkers where she discovers her truest happiness.
Beautifully written, filled with humanity and wisdom, rich in historical detail, authentic and evocative, this splendid novel offers a sweeping, yet intimate picture of a remarkable woman who both typifies and transcends her times.
