Ahab's Wife

Ahab's Wife is a breathtaking, magnificent, and uplifting story of one woman's spiritual journey, informed by the spirit of the greatest American novel, but taking it beyond tragedy to redemptive triumph. Sena Jeter Naslund has created an entirely new universe with a transcendent heroine at its centre.

"A complex and sophisticated book, brilliantly written, beautifully illustrated."  -  Booklist

From the opening line — "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last" — you will know that you are in the hands of a master storyteller and in the company of a fascinating woman hero. Inspired by a brief passage in Moby-Dick, Sena Jeter Naslund has created an enthralling and compellingly readable saga, spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. At once a family drama, a romantic adventure, and a portrait of a real and loving marriage, Ahab's Wife gives new perspective on the American experience.

"This tour de force does not attain its model's literary genius, but nevertheless it is a whale of a read. Recommended for all fiction collections."  -  Library Journal

Ahab's Wife is a novel on a grand scale that can legitimately be called a masterpiece: beautifully written, filled with humanity and wisdom, rich in historical detail, authentic and evocative.