So Many Books!

There is a tall pile of books on my bedside table. There is usually a pile, but this one is taller than normal.

The reason is that I've spent the last two or so weeks reading just one LONG book. In the meantime, most of the other books I had on hold arrived.

The long book (which I just finished this morning) is Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund. It was recommended to me by a friend and so I ordered it through my local public library. I didn't realize it was nearly 700 pages long. It's sort of ironic that I didn't notice the number of pages as I'm the person who fills in that part of the description when it is missing in the MassCat catalog.

This book is different from most of my reading. It's not a mystery, it's an historical novel. Despite the intriguing first line (Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last), it took several pages for me to get involved in the story. Once I did, however, I was hooked.

Before she becomes Ahab's wife, Una spends several years on an island as part of a lighthouse family. Then she dresses like a boy and goes to sea on a whaling ship. She has many other adventures and the names of some of the people she meets will be familiar.

This book sort or reminded me of Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things. There is a strong female protagonist who is not limited by the expectations of others due to her gender. While there is an  emphasis on science in The Signature of All Things, philosophy is more of the guiding force in Ahab's Wife. 

Given Naslund's beautiful, melodious prose, I'm finding it difficult to describe her book - as if I'm trying to compete with her talent and finding myself woefully inadequate.

Now I'm looking forward to the much shorter mystery books waiting for me in that taller than normal pile on my bedside table.