Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-Gazer: A Novel
by Sena Jeter Naslund

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Book Reviews of Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-Gazer: A Novel

Book Review: Excellent literary work
Summary: 5 Stars

Though much younger than her husband, Una loved Ahab. However, her love for the Captain failed to deter him from his cause of destruction with the "evil" Moby Dick. After Ahab's death, Una finds solace in the Northeast intellectual community fighting to end slavery. Una is a willing player as she daringly rescues an escaped slave. Though her life has been filled with harshness, Una cherishes her only living child and actually finds renewed happiness with Ishmael.

In the past couple of decades, authors and playwrights have written novels and plays centering on a minor character from a classic. Many add to the original tale by staying true to its characterization, content and style, but most fail because of the writer using too much literary license that contradicts the first story. Sena Jeter Naslund succeeds in her fictional autobiography based on a minor segment in Herman Melville's Moby Dick that refers to Ahab's spouse. The story line is a superb stand alone homage to Mr. Melville as well as a salute to the intrepid seafaring nineteenth century women. However, what makes the book a phenomenal companion to the original classic is that the characters borrowed from Moby Dick retain Mr. Melville's descriptions while starring in a fresh plot.

Harriet Klausner