Ghost Sea

by Ferenc Máté

A spellbinding tale of the sea: love, murder, and mysticism: At the turn of the century, a Kwakiutl warrior from British Columbia's wild northern islands raids an artifact collector's yacht to reclaim stolen sacred masks. He takes the collector's wife, Kate, as hostage on his 200-mile canoe voyage home. The collector hires Dugger, a coastal trader living on the edges of the law, to give chase in his ketch with the collector as passenger, but Dugger's financial salvation comes at a terrible price, for he is Kate's secret lover. Day and night Dugger sails the uncharted islands, through raging currents and ship-swallowing whirlpools, and the account of his pursuit is interwoven with Kate's harrowing and erotically charged journey.


Based on a true story, this novel reaches its thrilling climax at the last secret, hallucinatory potlatch of the ancient Kwakiutl culture, where the history of a doomed people is melded with the fury of three hearts.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Canada

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2006

About the author

Ferenc Máté has made a career of out documenting his own quests—whether it’s restoring a Tuscan ruin, building a vineyard from scratch, or sailing the seven seas.

Born in Transylvania, he escaped at age eleven when the Hungarian revolution was crushed by Soviet tanks. He grew up in Vancouver and has lived in California, Paris, Rome, the Bahamas and New York. He has worked on a railroad extra-gang and as a boat-builder, photographer, deckhand and book editor. He is the author of 16 books translated into 12 languages. His international best seller A Vineyard in Tuscany, was a New York Times Notable Book and short listed for Spain’s Camino del Cid literary award. His Dugger/Nello historical novel series have made him “the leading nautical writer of our time.” With his wife and son, he works the Máté vineyards surrounding the 13th century friary they restored in Montalcino, Italy. They have won global recognition for making one of the world’s best Brunellos.

Please visit:
http://www.ferencmate.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ferencmate
https://twitter.com/FerencMate
http://www.matewine.com/

Reviews

[Victoria Angelone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made my heart happy. Nothing like the perseverance and drive to rescue someone you care deeply for

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A man's love affair with another guy's wife fantasy novel. The first part of the book & descriptions of sailing are beautiful, Northwest Native American culture interesting, but then the book goes totally downhill in the latter half, as though it was written by another person.

[Jim M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Not quite what I expected. Great insight into indigenous native life and beliefs.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this book was reviewed on "Sitnews," my home town website for news and notes. I had high expectations starting this book, thinking it just might be another awesome "Jack London type" read involving all the wilds of the Northwest (trees, ocean, and mountains). It did start off with a vengeance, but slowly trickled into the silly and fantastic (involving the local native group, which in fact was factual I've found out). I'm saying the tribe was factual, not what possibly could have gone on according to this book. Yes it's fiction, yes it's not true, but like James Michener, mixing fact and fiction, for me, isn't something I've quite grabbed a hold on yet. Pick up this book for some great writing on sailing and mystery, and adventure. Ferenc Mate has obviously sailed and explored in the Pac. Northwest, it shows in the details. But, overall I was a little disappointed in the end.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book from Goodreads. I liked what I read about the book so I did want to read it. The trouble is that it wasn't exactly what it said it was to be. The love affair started off nice but I think it was more of just that an affair or crush, I don't think it was really love. The love part was really played down in my opinion. In the beginning of the book it talked about Dugger and his earlier years of working and learning about the sea. This part of the book was good and you really got to know Dugger. When the journey starts to save Kate the description seemed to go on and on and on about the fog and you couldn't see anything.There were a few good twists on the boat before they got to their destination. The stories about the Kwakiutl warriers and the cannibalistic ceremonies were good, but I didn't like the ending. The people tried hard to keep Kate alive and they end up killing everyone.

[Laura Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it pulled me into a world I didn’t know much about and also had a few twists and turns I didn’t expect. It’s the first book I read where the characters all die and the reader continues to follow them in their afterlife in the end. That was very provocative. But, the descriptions were tedious at times and confusing. The clunky descriptions got in the way of the more poetic insights found throughout the book. And I found myself wondering why the tribe would go to such lengths to save Kate, who’s husband stole their artifacts only to kill her and the party that came to save her. Also I felt that the characters didn’t really inhabit their relationships. Not much emotion unfolded in this story . The great love part got lost in the telling. The relationship/longing by Kate and Cappy should have been heightened I think.

[Bethany Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't hooked until you start finding out people's real identities. I liked the style of writing, although I had to learn to skim over sailing terms because there was NO WAY I was going to figure them all out.
Glad there is a northern Northwest Coast historical fiction out there. Although it relies on the stereotypes of the West and of the NWC's peoples, it does so responsibly.
Mate uses little snipits of anthropologists's writings to inform on the Kwakiutl (Boas), and, even better, to make an ass out of the social evolutionists and Indian agents(Halliday).

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first chapter as a preview in a magazine and instantly wanted to read the rest of the story. The book is set in coastal British Columbia and the descriptions will ring true to anyone who has sailed in this area - the fog, waves, winds and tidal currents are all described perfectly. The plot definitely pushes the limits of what is realistically plausible, but that's part of what makes this book great. It's based in history, the locations are real, and I'm sure similar things actually happened, but in this book Ferenc Mate turns up the intensity to make it all the more breathtaking.

[Emily Ventura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for a trip to the Pacific Northwest. I was enamored with the authors descriptions in this book, though I can see how some readers may find certain descriptions tedious. I especially appreciated the depiction of scenery and native peoples. I was not able to keep up with all the sailing terms but in reality it's not really necessary, I think it just adds another dimension if that is something that interests you. I did have difficulty discerning what was real or not, especially toward the end. I may have to re-read, now knowing the end, and get a new perspective.

[John Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just found this author while walking the aisles of my local library looking for some fiction worth the time--that I hadn't read (right by Cormac McCarthy). This is a serious talent worth the time. The prose sings. If genre or plot matters to you, read another review to decide. This is a voice executed with vision, skill, and intent. And, like guts for a Marine, sometimes that's enough.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. The setting is in the east coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada back in the days when the natives were considered wild and practiced cannibalism. Well written and a must read for anyone who likes stories about ships, seas and adventure. Well done.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book through goodreads and have been saving it until I was at the beach on vacation. I gave it 65 pages or so but I'm sorry to say I just didn't get into it and have passed it on to others who are on vacation with me.

[Alexander Banyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in the evenings while sailing through the Carribean. The story was fantastic with a sailor's prosective on the story line. The writing was sometimes confusing, but not enough to detract from the overall content.

[Midge · Rating 4 out of 5]

One who has never sailed might be left wondering about all the rigging, hardware, and other sailing jargon referenced. I have sailed, and I found this adventure one that I could enjoy. The author's art of description helped me to "see" the story in my head. Ahoy!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author did an exceptional job describing living in Tuscany, but his foray into fiction didn't grab me.

[shinfu]

I have just won this book from First Reads. I look forward to reading it. Thanks.

[L-H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a free copy of this book through the Goodreads first-reads program. Started reading, good so far. Thank you.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Ghost Sea. Once I started reading it I wanted to see what would happen next. It has a fast pace and a very surprise ending.

[Angela Leung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rollicking sea adventure in the best sense, mixed with a fascinating look at the native Kwaqiutl culture. People who sail will appreciate the detail.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, great adventure, very well written. The sailing was well described and I enjoy the surprised twist to the story line.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a little tough to follow at times. I wasn't quite sure what happened at the end.