3.5

I was going to say this was a different take on the story of Moby Dick and Ishmael but its really about the women who are left behind to wonder what happened to the whaling boat sailors.

We start with the story of Evangeline who is married to Hosea. They run an inn in between Hosea's forays at sea. After one trip Hosea does not return and Evangeline is left to fend for herself. However she has certain powers and can "persuade" others (at first) that Hosea is alive to preserve her ownership of the Inn.

Everything changes when Ishmael and Queequeg arrive months later, looking for a ship to sail. Evangeline is drawn to the quiet Ishmael but once he is gone she finds herself pregnant. Once her child, Rachel, grows up she wants to know who her father is and thus begins a tragic tale of mothers and daughters.

We follow the line of women through to Evangeline's great granddaughter. All have been affected by Ishmael's loss but will the truth ever be found and shared.

I listened to the audio of this book which, on the whole was well read. I am still not a fan of the dramatic pauses some narrators use to denote upset. I simply want to be read to. It's a personal thing though.

The story itself did devolve, at times, into yet another whiny teenager feeling like the world doesn't understand them but the women are definitely the focus of this book so if you want a lot of strong female characters with just a touch of the supernatural about them then I'd definitely recommend this book.

Thankyou to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy.

*A big thank-you to Tara Karr Roberts, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
I admit to not having read Moby Dick, and probably will not read it, and yet, the description of Wild and Distant Seas caught my attention and no regrets there. An epic novel, revolving around a woman who appears at the beginning of Moby Dick, and her female descendants who spend their lives in search of the man who appeared unexpectedly at Nantucket and stayed long enough to influence Ms Hussey for ever. The stories are beautifully crafted, with an authentic feel to the period details, including hardships of daily life depending on whaling or growing up in an isolated orphanage in South America. The characters are well-developed and their actions consistent with personalities.
An interesting idea to imagine women, not featuring in the classic, and give them a voice in the world dominated by men.

I was intrigued by this book based on the beautiful cover and the historical Nantucket setting (I' love New England by the sea books).

Wild and Distant Seas is the debut novel of Tara Karr Roberts. She combines elements of magical realism with a multi-generational family saga in her story about four generations of women, starting with Evangeline in Nantucket, who has an affair with the sailor Ishmael from the novel Moby Dick right before he leaves on his ill-fated whaling trip. She has a daughter Rachel by Ishmael, who also has a daughter Margaret, who later gives birth to Antonia. All four of the women have a special type of clairvoyant power, and all experience some form of estrangement or abandonment by their fathers.

While the prose was lovely, I failed to connect meaningfully to the characters and their plights across time, so I felt mostly detached while listening to the audiobook. Also, most of the novel moved at a slower pace until ending, which seemed rather rushed and abrupt.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Highbridge Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook to review.

This is the magical and ethereal story of four generations of strong New England women, all with their own special powers. First is Evangeline Hussey whose husband Hosiah is lost at sea. She survives by continuing to run her husbands Nantucket Inn and restaurant on her own. One day a young man, Ishmael arrives and by the time he leaves with his friend Queequeg to join captain Ahab for his search for a great white whale she finds herself pregnant. She bears a daughter which becomes the second generation of gifted women. Two more generations ensue all in different circumstances. These four generations of women traverse the globe searching for the elusive Ishmael who they feel must have the answers they seek. But can any one person have the answers they need, is what they seek not already within them. This is a mesmerizing story and beautifully written. Great for literary fiction lovers. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read/ listen to this audio book.

I read the book and the audiobook was still worth a listen, narrator does a great job getting everything through, the emotions and stress.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK

This is a slow tale that follows four generations of a family as they try to find Ishmael (yes, the one from Moby Dick). We start the novel in 1849 with Evangeline who is a foreigner in the island of Nantucket. She has magical abilities and that's how she knows that her husband died in his last fishing expedition. Her daughter Rachel is obsessed with finding her father and moves to Boston in the pursuit of her father. Rachel ends up making questionable choices when she becomes a mother herself. Her daughter, Mara, is raised in Brazil (As a Brazilian I LOVEED the mentions of places that are not rio and sao paulo) in a monastery. Mara has her own powers and struggles with her memories of her mother. When her own daughter is born she decides she won't let her daughter continue the pursuit of Ishmael, but her daughter might be the only one with the ability to actually find Ishmael, or whatever is left of him.

This book reminded me of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi which IMO is the best book ever written. The narrative is crafted in a way that you are taken with it.

I am sooo impressed that this is a debut novel because it is sooo well done.

‘Wild and Distant Seas’ by is a ‘Moby Dick’ inspired reimagining which centers women in the narrative— specifically a line, across 50 years, of women beginning with Evangeline Hussey in Nantucket. Each of the women possess a “gift” of sorts, and a connected sense of longing and inquisitive nature.

I think this novel has a lot to offer for many readers, with its accessible language and feminist tones. Set in the 1850 up to the early 1900s it gives these women space to be different from the historical culture and it examines that headstrong inclination. It’s also, thematically, focused on mother/daughter relationships and the ways we make mistakes, why we make them and how we overcome those choices to find understanding.