Book Description
This is destined to be remembered as one of the most
recognized first sentences in literature--along with
"Call me Ishmael." And Una Spenser, the triumphant
hero at the center of Ahab's Wife, may well become every bit
as memorable as Ahab.
Inspired by a brief passage in Moby-Dick, Sena Jeter
Naslund has created an entirely new universe--vast,
enthralling, and compellingly readable saga, spanning a full,
rich, eventful, and dramatic life. In the "soprano
voice" whose absence critics lamented in Moby-Dick--the
strong, intelligent voice of a woman whose life is dominated
by the sea--Naslund tells many stories. She narrates a family
drama, as the child Una is sent away to live in a lighthouse
by her mother in order to protect her from the physical and
emotional blows of her religion- mad father. She spins a
romantic adventure, as Una finds early passion with a sailor
and, disguised as a cabin boy, runs away to sea to encounter
disasters, murder, romance of virtually every variety, and,
of course, the behemoths of the deep. She paints a portrait
of a real, loving marriage, as through Una's eyes we see Ahab
before the white whale takes his leg and sends him into
madness. Finally, she gives us a new perspective on the
American experience, as the widowed Una makes a new life for
herself in the company of Margaret Fuller, Frederick
Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and others.
Sena Jeter Naslund has thoroughly imbibed the spirit of
Herman Melville, and that spirit permeates every page of her
novel. But great as her debt to Melville may be, Ahab's Wife
stands alone, intact, and vital for any reader. Inspired by a
masterpiece, Ahab's Wife is a legitimate masterwork in its
own right.
The vision that informs this magnificent novel is so
complete, the nineteenth-century voice so eloquent and sure,
one feels the author hasn't so much written this book as
lived it. She has fallen in love with this world, this
woman's life, and her book evokes that same connection in the
reader. From the opening line and the spellbinding first
scene, you will know immediately that you are in the hands of
a masterful storyteller, and in the company of an endlessly
fascinating woman hero. You will want to immerse yourself in
this world--a realm easily entered, enchanting, and
fulfilling--and spend time indulging in one of the consummate
human pleasures: reading a brilliantly written, vibrant,
uplifting, and deliciously enveloping novel ... a bright book
of life.
