Ahab's Wife

AHAB’S WIFE

by Sena Jeter Naslund

 

Nominations: Dublin Longlist 2001, Women's Longlist 2001

 

Date Read: March 23, 2022

 

Ahab’s Wife is the tale of what kind of wife Ahab might take should Melville have ever provided him one. Una is cut from a different cloth from other 19th century women. She is learned and smart, quick on her feet and has the heart of an adventurer. Unable to commit herself to her father’s religious views and often a the mercy of his violence, Una’s mother sends her away to live with her sister, who is the wife of a lighthouse keeper. It is here that Una first gets a taste of the sea.

 

This sweeping saga portrays a fearless woman who survives so many obstacles and losses, they are nearly too numerous to count. She has the audacity to join a whaling ship, presenting herself as a cabin boy and hoping no one finds out. She survives the sinking of the whaling ship Sussex and survives by cannibalism. She marries a crazy man and has the strength to let him go and free herself of a miserable marriage.

 

Una also meets the love of her life when she’s rescued at sea and doesn’t let the difference in their ages keep them apart. She keeps her heart and mind open to learning throughout her life. Una’s existence on the page is a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed every minute of her life and adventures.

 

For such a long novel, I wish I had more to say but without recounting every detail of the plot, it’s difficult to comment. I appreciated the comings and goings of various famous figures including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Frederick Douglass, and very young Henry James.

 

I appreciated that Una’s character judged others by their merits and not their skin color, particularly during a time of slavery. I enjoyed the numerous times that she fell in love and was able to let it go without destroying her. I am really shocked this novel didn’t win any literary awards. It’s a true gem.

 

“What was a promise? A way to enslave the future to the past.”

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