Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Sea Captain’s Wife:
Heck of a place for a first timer.
Quick synopsis:
The story of how a woman took over a ship in one of the worst places on Earth.
Fact for Non-History People:
The first time a woman captained a U.S. Navy ship was in 1990.
Fact for History Nerds:
Mary Ann Patten is considered the first woman to command an American merchant ship.
My Take on The Sea Captain’s Wife:
The Sea Captain’s Wife is one of those books where the content is wonderfully told and engaging, but the title and subtitle might be saying too much. Author Tilar Mazzeo tells the story of Mary Ann Patten, who at 19 years old, took over her ill husband’s ship in Drake’s Passage which is literally the worst place to ever be on a ship. In the midst of this, there is also a bit of a mutiny. This all sounds quite exciting and it is! At least, when you get to this part anyway.
Mazzeo writes a fun tale and does a fair bit of explaining for those readers who have no idea what a jibboom is, for instance. I don’t want to undersell the good bits of the book with the criticism I have for it. This is an enjoyable read and Mazzeo does a wonderful job with what she has.
The singular criticism is that it is clear Mazzeo is throwing a lot into the narrative to fill out the story. Much of it makes perfect sense, from the background of the families and a short tutorial on maritime trading. However, as a reader I could feel her straining to fill up the pages. It is well into the book before we get to the fateful voyage and aspects like the mutiny are minor diversions. I think shipwreck tale addicts (that’s me!) will find a lot of the information in the beginning of the book as filler rather than vital points. People who are grabbing this for the adventure portions will have a good number of pages ahead of them before getting to the excitement. I still think it is all worth it in the end.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.)
Verdict:
A crazy story you’ve never heard before. Buy it here!
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