Ahab's Wife or, The Star-Gazer

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From the opening line, "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last," you are drawn into the world of a masterful storyteller and a captivating female hero. Inspired by a passage in Melville's Moby-Dick, this tale stands on its own, showcasing the journey of Una Spenser, who escapes her tyrannical father on the violent Kentucky frontier for the tranquility of a New England lighthouse island. There, she finds herself in love with two young men. Disguised as a boy, Una secures a place on a whaling ship, confronting nature's power, death, and madness, while catching her first glimpse of Captain Ahab. Through Una's love for the tragically driven Ahab, the narrative explores a real, living marriage and offers a fresh perspective on the American experience. Readers are immediately immersed in a vibrant, uplifting story—a celebration of life. This novel has garnered significant acclaim, being a main selection of the Book of the Month Club, recognized by Time magazine as one of the top five novels of 1999, and selected as a Notable Book by the New York Times. It is also being reprinted in Australia and England and translated into several languages, including German, Hebrew, Spanish, and Portuguese.