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Wild and Distant Seas
A gorgeous debut, laced through with magic, following four generations of women as they seek to chart their own futures.
Evangeline Hussey has made a home for herself on Nantucket, though she knows she is still an outsider to the island’s small, close-knit community, one that by 1849 has started to feel the decline of a once-thriving whaling industry. Her husband, Hosea, and the life they built together, was once all she needed—but now Hosea is gone, lost at sea. Evangeline is only able to hold on to his inn, and her place on the island, by employing a curious gift to glimpse and re-form the recent memories of those who would cast her out.
One night, an idealistic sailor appears on her doorstep asking her to call him Ishmael. He seeks only a warm bed and a bowl of chowder, and yet suddenly, unsettlingly, her careful illusion begins to fracture. He soon sails away with Ahab to hunt an infamous white whale, and Evangeline is left to forge a new life from the pieces that remain.
Her choices ripple through generations, across continents, and into the depths of the sea, in a narrative that follows Evangeline and her descendants from mid-nineteenth century Nantucket to Boston, Brazil, Florence, and Idaho. Moving, beautifully written, and elegantly conceived, Wild and Distant Seas takes Moby-Dick as its starting point, but Tara Karr Roberts brings four remarkable women to life in a spellbinding epic all her own.
Evangeline Hussey has made a home for herself on Nantucket, though she knows she is still an outsider to the island’s small, close-knit community, one that by 1849 has started to feel the decline of a once-thriving whaling industry. Her husband, Hosea, and the life they built together, was once all she needed—but now Hosea is gone, lost at sea. Evangeline is only able to hold on to his inn, and her place on the island, by employing a curious gift to glimpse and re-form the recent memories of those who would cast her out.
One night, an idealistic sailor appears on her doorstep asking her to call him Ishmael. He seeks only a warm bed and a bowl of chowder, and yet suddenly, unsettlingly, her careful illusion begins to fracture. He soon sails away with Ahab to hunt an infamous white whale, and Evangeline is left to forge a new life from the pieces that remain.
Her choices ripple through generations, across continents, and into the depths of the sea, in a narrative that follows Evangeline and her descendants from mid-nineteenth century Nantucket to Boston, Brazil, Florence, and Idaho. Moving, beautifully written, and elegantly conceived, Wild and Distant Seas takes Moby-Dick as its starting point, but Tara Karr Roberts brings four remarkable women to life in a spellbinding epic all her own.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2024
406 people are currently reading
24437 people want to read
About the author
Tara Karr Roberts
1 book123 followersTara Karr Roberts is a freelance writer, science writer, and newspaper columnist. She is a lifelong Idahoan who grew up along the Pend Oreille River and now lives in Moscow, Idaho, with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews
February 11, 2024
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, Ishmael, 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.
*A big thank-you to Tara Karr Roberts, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
An interesting idea to imagine women, not featuring in the classic, and give them a voice in the world dominated by men.
*A big thank-you to Tara Karr Roberts, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
January 6, 2025
I Tried, I Really Tried...
WILD AND DISTANT SEAS: A Novel
by Tara Karr Roberts
No spoilers. 2 1/2 stars. I really tried to stick with this one, but it was so jarringly boring and repetitive that I decided to DNF it at 65%.
At 65%, the story was on its 4th generation of women trying to find the elusive Ishmael (from the Moby Dick novel). The funny thing is that none of these women looked for the whaler on the wild and distant seas.
I was expecting a seafaring story, but I didn't even get much of an island story despite the first generation woman running an inn on Nantucket.
Since I never made it to the end, maybe, just maybe, the story got better the last half... but I seriously doubt it.
There wasn't much character development that I could see. Once a girl got pregnant (usually by stupidity), she spewed forth another girl child, and the story picks up with the new arrival at an older age. Little is said about the mother at that point or her struggles.
Ishmael is mentioned every once in a while, but at 65%, he still hasn't been located... not that I cared anymore about him or anyone else in this book.
Bottom line for me: This looked like a promising seafaring (or island) story, but it was neither. It was very much like the list of begats in the Bible.
WILD AND DISTANT SEAS: A Novel
by Tara Karr Roberts
No spoilers. 2 1/2 stars. I really tried to stick with this one, but it was so jarringly boring and repetitive that I decided to DNF it at 65%.
At 65%, the story was on its 4th generation of women trying to find the elusive Ishmael (from the Moby Dick novel). The funny thing is that none of these women looked for the whaler on the wild and distant seas.
I was expecting a seafaring story, but I didn't even get much of an island story despite the first generation woman running an inn on Nantucket.
Since I never made it to the end, maybe, just maybe, the story got better the last half... but I seriously doubt it.
There wasn't much character development that I could see. Once a girl got pregnant (usually by stupidity), she spewed forth another girl child, and the story picks up with the new arrival at an older age. Little is said about the mother at that point or her struggles.
Ishmael is mentioned every once in a while, but at 65%, he still hasn't been located... not that I cared anymore about him or anyone else in this book.
Bottom line for me: This looked like a promising seafaring (or island) story, but it was neither. It was very much like the list of begats in the Bible.
November 15, 2023
'I wanted to believe I had changed the story...Yet I came to see I had wrought something far more fragile, an illusion etched on a pane of glass'.
Evangeline is gifted with the power to re-shape others' memories, 'I could suggest to someone that a recent moment was not quite as they remembered it'. When Evangeline's husband dies, she increasingly relies on this ability in order to maintain the facade of her life despite her husband's premature departure. However, as with all lives based upon a fragile web of deceit, increasingly, her safety feels fleeting and her loneliness more permanent. However, a brief encounter with Ishmael, before he sets sail on his infamous voyage, forever changes Evangeline's life and that of future generations.
'Wild and Distant Seas' is a story created from one of the minor characters in 'Moby Dick', Evangeline Hussey, who ran the 'Try Pots Inn' and was known for her chowder. Evangeline, her daughter Rachel, granddaughter Mara, and great-granddaughter Antonia all possess varying powers of the mind which are used in their personal quests for Ishmael. It becomes clear that Ishmael represents the search for belonging and meaning rather than a literal pursuit. As the story comes full circle, there's a realisation that interfering and changing fates, in order to get what you want, does not in fact get you anywhere you need to be, 'To live an illusion was to live in fear...'.
You’ll enjoy this if you appreciate literary fiction, mixed with magical realism which gives an ethereal flare to the story.
Evangeline is gifted with the power to re-shape others' memories, 'I could suggest to someone that a recent moment was not quite as they remembered it'. When Evangeline's husband dies, she increasingly relies on this ability in order to maintain the facade of her life despite her husband's premature departure. However, as with all lives based upon a fragile web of deceit, increasingly, her safety feels fleeting and her loneliness more permanent. However, a brief encounter with Ishmael, before he sets sail on his infamous voyage, forever changes Evangeline's life and that of future generations.
'Wild and Distant Seas' is a story created from one of the minor characters in 'Moby Dick', Evangeline Hussey, who ran the 'Try Pots Inn' and was known for her chowder. Evangeline, her daughter Rachel, granddaughter Mara, and great-granddaughter Antonia all possess varying powers of the mind which are used in their personal quests for Ishmael. It becomes clear that Ishmael represents the search for belonging and meaning rather than a literal pursuit. As the story comes full circle, there's a realisation that interfering and changing fates, in order to get what you want, does not in fact get you anywhere you need to be, 'To live an illusion was to live in fear...'.
You’ll enjoy this if you appreciate literary fiction, mixed with magical realism which gives an ethereal flare to the story.
October 23, 2023
This is an impressive debut novel by a very talented writer. I quickly became immersed in the stories of the characters and the times they lived in from 1849 to 1905.
The author does a superb job of threading together the lives of four generations of headstrong women, mothers and daughters with special unique abilities, as they are joined through the years by their connection to the sea and their quest to find a man named Ishmael. I felt that I was there with each of them on their separate journeys from Nantucket to Boston to Brazil to Florence and Idaho.
Fans of historical fiction and women's fiction with just the right added touch of magical realism are sure to enjoy this book.
Many thanks to BookBrowse.com for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The author does a superb job of threading together the lives of four generations of headstrong women, mothers and daughters with special unique abilities, as they are joined through the years by their connection to the sea and their quest to find a man named Ishmael. I felt that I was there with each of them on their separate journeys from Nantucket to Boston to Brazil to Florence and Idaho.
Fans of historical fiction and women's fiction with just the right added touch of magical realism are sure to enjoy this book.
Many thanks to BookBrowse.com for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 11, 2023
Imagine: the Ishmael of Moby Dick has a liaison with an innkeeper in Nantucket, and she has a daughter. That daughter has one too, and so on. This novel follows the lives of all of those daughters, who all have psychic powers of one kind or another, and who are, for reasons I cannot fathom and which are not provided very well by the author, desperate to find Ishmael. Apart from Ishmael's daughter, who tries to seek out her father because it seems the thing to do, there's no impetus for the others to continue the search. One of them does eventually find the woman with whom Ishmael fathered the first daughter, and we learn of the terrible consequences of some of the various offsprings' mental powers.
The characters remained rather flat for me, and despite the fact that most of them have become hardened from betrayals, rough conditions and erratic upbringings full of trauma, I don't feel much sympathy for them or relate to them well.
The characters remained rather flat for me, and despite the fact that most of them have become hardened from betrayals, rough conditions and erratic upbringings full of trauma, I don't feel much sympathy for them or relate to them well.
April 12, 2024
Edit: It's been two months and I'm still thinking about the book. She's getting upgraded to a full 5⭐️.
4.5 stars rounded up. Beautifully written. Complicated women, generational trauma and healing, clearly a well-researched book - this was right up my alley, and yet, independently captivating. There were times I was so engrossed in the connection of each main character to each other that I almost forgot the book's connection to Moby Dick.
Being a debut novel makes it even more impressive. I hope the author's next novel is completely its own, without branching off another well-loved story. I am fascinated to see what other unique stories Tara Karr Roberts can create.
Lastly, the narrator, Natasha Soudek, is probably one of the best I've listened to. Her narration further strengthened the story and held my attention for all 10 hours.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars rounded up. Beautifully written. Complicated women, generational trauma and healing, clearly a well-researched book - this was right up my alley, and yet, independently captivating. There were times I was so engrossed in the connection of each main character to each other that I almost forgot the book's connection to Moby Dick.
Being a debut novel makes it even more impressive. I hope the author's next novel is completely its own, without branching off another well-loved story. I am fascinated to see what other unique stories Tara Karr Roberts can create.
Lastly, the narrator, Natasha Soudek, is probably one of the best I've listened to. Her narration further strengthened the story and held my attention for all 10 hours.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2024
Loved it! So unique and lyrically written. I was wonderfully beguiled from page 1.
January 30, 2024
yeah so anyway I’m sobbing and definitely calling my mom in the morning
March 24, 2024
As debut novels go, its unusual to find an author that spins a story using characters from a classic like Moby Dick. Engaging in some respects, it reminded me of Weyward due to the use of multiple women across time periods, though that's where the resemblance ends. The author segments the story using character names and time periods taking the reader on a voyage of their own.
We're taken to Nantucket island in 1849 through the POV of Evangeline, a young woman seeking a room at the Try Pots Inn. Older and wiser, Hosea Hussey, the owner offers her a room and if willing to scrub pots and work in the kitchen, a job as well. Over the course of several weeks, she finds his friendly manner and charm alluring. Innocent and lonely, they wed soon after. While Hosea goes on a fishing expedition, Ishmael and Queque, enter the picture. During the following days the sailors sign on with Capt Ahab but are unaware of his ruthless manner. Evangeline becomes lonely due to the long absence of her husband and is drawn to Ishmael's seafaring stories, charm and youth. Love blossoms and with it, pregnancy. When Hosea is lost at sea, she's left with running the business while pregnant and gives birth to Rachel.
As Rachel slowly matures she comes to realize that Hosea wasn't her birth father and over the years grows eager to find her father. A lover of books, she finds a column in the Spyglass, a Boston newspaper that tells the story of a ruthless captain in search of the white whale and is sunk in the process. Intrigued by the journalist, she's convinced its being written by Ishmael, her birth father. Tired of her mother's nagging, she escapes to Boston to hunt for Ishmael. No sooner does she meet the paper's editor, Nathaniel Sweet, she's offered an administrative job and takes a room at a nearby boarding house. Intelligent, engaging and a bit flirty, she soon weds Nathaniel and like her mother, eventually gives birth to a daughter they name Margaret. Over time Rachel fantasizes about finding Ishmael, bringing him back to Nantucket and reuniting the family. Like her mother, Rachel and Mara leave Nate behind and board a ship with hopes of finding Ishmael.
While on the open ocean, Mara makes friends with Otavia, a young Brazilian girl who becomes her best friend when she loses her mother. The girls are taken in by a home for wayward children run by Catholic nuns. Like Evangeline and Rachel, the daughter matures, finds love and the result is a baby named Antonia.
Truth be told, the story becomes confusing since we're taken to Europe where she lives with her grandfather, whose worldly, affluent and caring. The repetitive mother, daughter, pregnant thing grew tiring. But eventually makes its way back when Antonia and her mother head back to the US via Idaho and finally return to Nantucket.
Overall, its an interesting tale that lags at times. But the fact the author manages to craft a story based on Moby Dick characters makes it unique.
We're taken to Nantucket island in 1849 through the POV of Evangeline, a young woman seeking a room at the Try Pots Inn. Older and wiser, Hosea Hussey, the owner offers her a room and if willing to scrub pots and work in the kitchen, a job as well. Over the course of several weeks, she finds his friendly manner and charm alluring. Innocent and lonely, they wed soon after. While Hosea goes on a fishing expedition, Ishmael and Queque, enter the picture. During the following days the sailors sign on with Capt Ahab but are unaware of his ruthless manner. Evangeline becomes lonely due to the long absence of her husband and is drawn to Ishmael's seafaring stories, charm and youth. Love blossoms and with it, pregnancy. When Hosea is lost at sea, she's left with running the business while pregnant and gives birth to Rachel.
As Rachel slowly matures she comes to realize that Hosea wasn't her birth father and over the years grows eager to find her father. A lover of books, she finds a column in the Spyglass, a Boston newspaper that tells the story of a ruthless captain in search of the white whale and is sunk in the process. Intrigued by the journalist, she's convinced its being written by Ishmael, her birth father. Tired of her mother's nagging, she escapes to Boston to hunt for Ishmael. No sooner does she meet the paper's editor, Nathaniel Sweet, she's offered an administrative job and takes a room at a nearby boarding house. Intelligent, engaging and a bit flirty, she soon weds Nathaniel and like her mother, eventually gives birth to a daughter they name Margaret. Over time Rachel fantasizes about finding Ishmael, bringing him back to Nantucket and reuniting the family. Like her mother, Rachel and Mara leave Nate behind and board a ship with hopes of finding Ishmael.
While on the open ocean, Mara makes friends with Otavia, a young Brazilian girl who becomes her best friend when she loses her mother. The girls are taken in by a home for wayward children run by Catholic nuns. Like Evangeline and Rachel, the daughter matures, finds love and the result is a baby named Antonia.
Truth be told, the story becomes confusing since we're taken to Europe where she lives with her grandfather, whose worldly, affluent and caring. The repetitive mother, daughter, pregnant thing grew tiring. But eventually makes its way back when Antonia and her mother head back to the US via Idaho and finally return to Nantucket.
Overall, its an interesting tale that lags at times. But the fact the author manages to craft a story based on Moby Dick characters makes it unique.
February 10, 2024
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.
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.
October 9, 2023
Beautifully written multigenerational tale that is both lyrical and magical.
I believe this book would appeal to those who favor Sarah Addison Allen, Joanne Harris or Heather Webber 's magical realism. It was a wonderful surprise that I feel might be the best book that I have read in 2023. The writing was superb.
It was so gratifying to step in to the ebb and flow of this atmospheric tale of mothers and daughters and their magical gifts. The characters are written with true depth. Although each generation's story is unique and can stand alone; the story flows and ultimately comes full circle.
Not one of the characters or any of their stories is unforgettable. The writing is lyrical and moving and keeps the reader immersed in the tales , anxious to see how it will all end . This reader was sad to come to the end even though I believe that it was the perfect end point , I hated that it was time to leave this family . I doubted that I was going to enjoy my next read as much.
I highly recommend this to everyone.
FYI, for those who enjoy holding a book instead of an e-reader ( and I do read both), this book is a joy to hold. The paper quality is exquisite and the cover texture and look are beautiful. What excellent choices. It merely added to my overall enjoyment.
Thank you to Bookbrowse.com for this ARC .
I believe this book would appeal to those who favor Sarah Addison Allen, Joanne Harris or Heather Webber 's magical realism. It was a wonderful surprise that I feel might be the best book that I have read in 2023. The writing was superb.
It was so gratifying to step in to the ebb and flow of this atmospheric tale of mothers and daughters and their magical gifts. The characters are written with true depth. Although each generation's story is unique and can stand alone; the story flows and ultimately comes full circle.
Not one of the characters or any of their stories is unforgettable. The writing is lyrical and moving and keeps the reader immersed in the tales , anxious to see how it will all end . This reader was sad to come to the end even though I believe that it was the perfect end point , I hated that it was time to leave this family . I doubted that I was going to enjoy my next read as much.
I highly recommend this to everyone.
FYI, for those who enjoy holding a book instead of an e-reader ( and I do read both), this book is a joy to hold. The paper quality is exquisite and the cover texture and look are beautiful. What excellent choices. It merely added to my overall enjoyment.
Thank you to Bookbrowse.com for this ARC .
May 8, 2024
I feel spellbound by this female centered saga. Inspired by Moby Dick and primarily one young fisherman sailor, Ishmael. A quiet adventure story is relayed via memories, illusions, and allusions from four generations of women, each with their own distinct magical capaciy. I'll be watching for future works; this being the author's debut makes her future look promising!
The author reveals in an Idaho public radio interview that she was assigned to read Moby Dick in a college class. Her novel began as a short story and then expanded to Wild and Distant Seas! https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org...
The author reveals in an Idaho public radio interview that she was assigned to read Moby Dick in a college class. Her novel began as a short story and then expanded to Wild and Distant Seas! https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org...
January 9, 2024
"Wild and Distant Seas" by Tara Karr Roberts is an extraordinary debut! This sweeping, multigenerational story follows Evangeline and her descendants as they search for their family's "white whale," who just happens to be Ishmael from "Moby Dick." The elements of magical realism add to the mystery and enchantment of the story. Ms. Roberts' writing is lyrical and atmospheric; I could actually smell the chowder in the Try Pots Inn while reading. The characters were fully developed and came alive from the pages. I found the plot to be so engaging that I had a difficult time putting the book down to deal with real world responsibilities.
"Wild and Distant Seas" will definitely be considered one of the best debut novels of 2024 and fans of literary fiction and magical realism will love this book as much as I did. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this hypnotic book.
"Wild and Distant Seas" will definitely be considered one of the best debut novels of 2024 and fans of literary fiction and magical realism will love this book as much as I did. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this hypnotic book.
April 25, 2024
If you remove the gimmick, which the inclusion of Moby Dick’s famed Ishmael most certainly is, you’re left with a dull, distractingly over-written, multigenerational saga. As a story of mothers and daughters, they’re virtually indistinguishable from one another. I am mad I wasted my time with this one.
March 19, 2025
2025 reading challenge - Recommended by a friend
3.5 stars - the story follows the daughter of Ishmael, the main character in Moby Dick. It was an interesting premise and the many locations were fun, but I thought the characters were a tad flat.
3.5 stars - the story follows the daughter of Ishmael, the main character in Moby Dick. It was an interesting premise and the many locations were fun, but I thought the characters were a tad flat.
February 3, 2024
‘Wild and Distant Seas’ by Tara Karr Roberts 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.
…but for me, who is just looking for something a bit different it wasn’t my favorite. We got very little of these “seas” you expect to be steeped in. I found the relationships didn’t go deep enough for me. It was low on atmosphere. It didn’t feel like the time period or places we were told of. It felt a bit neutral. And while I normally like a little magical touch this wasn’t quite “it”. I found it convenient for the plot but ineffectual at deepening the message.
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.
…but for me, who is just looking for something a bit different it wasn’t my favorite. We got very little of these “seas” you expect to be steeped in. I found the relationships didn’t go deep enough for me. It was low on atmosphere. It didn’t feel like the time period or places we were told of. It felt a bit neutral. And while I normally like a little magical touch this wasn’t quite “it”. I found it convenient for the plot but ineffectual at deepening the message.
November 5, 2023
Tara Karr Roberts' debut novel Wild and Distant Seas tells the story of four generations of mothers and daughters whose lives take them around the globe and whose remarkable memories take them even further. Drawing in elements of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, Roberts creates a world both heartbreakingly real and magically surreal. The beautifully written prose transports us right to each location and right to the heart of the matter as each woman tries to find her way in the world and find her way back home. Roberts portrays the mother-daughter bonds with enduring accuracy: at once loving and exasperating, strong and fragile. Wild and Distant Seas is a page-turner, a deep dive so spellbinding you'll need to come up for air to catch your breath. By far one of the best books I've read this year!
May 6, 2024
It began so beautifully, so compellingly, but I’m afraid the story and the characters’ motivations to seek Ishmael soon lost momentum and reason, and the ending made it all feel rather for nothing. Tara is a BEAUTIFUL writer—I really do love her prose and way of capturing character and world, I just think the plot fell a little too loose for me and could have used some stronger reshaping; some impetus with more conviction if that makes any sense. But I love all the ideas that shaped this novel—the generations of women, their unique, incredible gifts and strengths, their distinct journeys shaped in the end by the same search… I may not have been in love with the execution of the story’s engine but I think Tara should be immensely proud of her debut and talent.
April 21, 2024
Don't waste your time. This was one of the strangest books I've ever read, and I don't mean that in a positive way. I put it down 4x, then finally got into the odd, strange, storyline but the ending was the biggest disappointment ever. I stared at the last page of the book and was like, seriously?? I thought maybe I missed a chapter. Oh well, some books just don't work for me.
August 9, 2024
4.5 stars, but rounding up because it was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. There is a nexus with the novel Moby Dick, which I never read, but one needn’t have read it to fully appreciate this book. The writing is beautiful, and the various settings - Nantucket, Brazil, and Idaho - are very evocative. The multigenerational female characters are compelling if not necessarily sympathetic. The fact that this is a debut novel makes it even more impressive. Maybe not for everyone, but I loved it.
February 27, 2024
4.25 ⭐
i will be thinking about this book and its women for a long time...especially rachel and mara, now i want to read moby-dick
i will be thinking about this book and its women for a long time...especially rachel and mara, now i want to read moby-dick
December 8, 2024
If you have any interest in Moby Dick, you’ll especially love this! But anyone with no background of MB will enjoy. It’s an adventure around the world, the characters are interesting and there’s just the right amount of magic. Loved every second. Def in my top 5 favorites of the year. Also it’s her debut novel!
January 2, 2024
Evangeline's husband has been lost at sea. And yet, the ever-present demand of their Nantucket Inn persists. Picking up the pieces of her shattered life while struggling to keep the inn going, Evangeline's past unexpectedly crosses with a young sailor by the name of Ishmael.
And the rest, as we know it--is history. Or is it?
"Wild and Distant Seas" held more promise than almost any book I've picked up this year; 1800s Nantucket, a sailor's widow, and a crossover with Ishmael just before he sails with Ahab in search of the mighty white whale. But much to my disappointment, that part of the story was barely the story at all. Marketed as a sweeping epic that begins with Ishmael and Evagenline's fateful meeting, this "epic" was not nearly enough sea and sailors and far too much map-hopping and generation-skipping packed into just 300 pages. Evangeline, Rachel, Mara, Antonia. Each of them fell woefully flat for me, and before I had the chance to grasp their vastly-different stories and settings, we were already onto the next.
If "Wild and Distant Seas" has peaked your interest yet, know that this is not the Moby Dick retelling (or even a distant cousin) that I was intrigued by; this is a generational story that spans the globe rather than the seas, and I regret to say I was bored the entire time despite the author's beautiful writing.
*Many thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for my advanced review copy*
And the rest, as we know it--is history. Or is it?
"Wild and Distant Seas" held more promise than almost any book I've picked up this year; 1800s Nantucket, a sailor's widow, and a crossover with Ishmael just before he sails with Ahab in search of the mighty white whale. But much to my disappointment, that part of the story was barely the story at all. Marketed as a sweeping epic that begins with Ishmael and Evagenline's fateful meeting, this "epic" was not nearly enough sea and sailors and far too much map-hopping and generation-skipping packed into just 300 pages. Evangeline, Rachel, Mara, Antonia. Each of them fell woefully flat for me, and before I had the chance to grasp their vastly-different stories and settings, we were already onto the next.
If "Wild and Distant Seas" has peaked your interest yet, know that this is not the Moby Dick retelling (or even a distant cousin) that I was intrigued by; this is a generational story that spans the globe rather than the seas, and I regret to say I was bored the entire time despite the author's beautiful writing.
*Many thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for my advanced review copy*
November 14, 2024
probably more like 3.5! Should’ve had even more descriptions of clam chowder.
I didn’t think this book stuck the landing at the end and the different first-person narrators all sounded the same and the female whale pod interludes between sections was a little too much, but generally this book was so weird that all of that was fine. Like, a feminist multi-generational retelling of “Moby Dick” where Ishmael impregnates the chowder woman and she and all of her female descendants have mind control powers for some reason…are you not entertained?
I liked how Ishmael himself is the white whale figure here. I also liked the magical realism elements—reminded me of “House of the Spirits” a bit!
I didn’t think this book stuck the landing at the end and the different first-person narrators all sounded the same and the female whale pod interludes between sections was a little too much, but generally this book was so weird that all of that was fine. Like, a feminist multi-generational retelling of “Moby Dick” where Ishmael impregnates the chowder woman and she and all of her female descendants have mind control powers for some reason…are you not entertained?
I liked how Ishmael himself is the white whale figure here. I also liked the magical realism elements—reminded me of “House of the Spirits” a bit!
August 17, 2024
4.25 I grew up in New Bedford MA. It was a whaling city and still has the Seaman’s Bethel, Whaling museum, famous statue of a fisherman hoisting a harpoon which states “ a dead whale or a stove boat.” I read Moby Dick in elementary, junior and senior high school and then again as an English major in college. Its history, Ahab, Ismael, Queequeg and the Peguod were imprinted on my as a young child
This book took me directly to the beginning. Ismael shows up in Nantucket right before he signs into Ahab’s ship. He and Queequeg stay at the inn owned by our first narrator, Evangeline.
The 4 generations of women, struggling to chart their own futures, tell this sometimes magical story, traveling the world: Boston, London, Florence, Brazil and eventually Idaho.
Sometimes the best stories circle the back…back to the beginning, so as to see more clearly. I found the novel, a debut, very engaging
This book took me directly to the beginning. Ismael shows up in Nantucket right before he signs into Ahab’s ship. He and Queequeg stay at the inn owned by our first narrator, Evangeline.
The 4 generations of women, struggling to chart their own futures, tell this sometimes magical story, traveling the world: Boston, London, Florence, Brazil and eventually Idaho.
Sometimes the best stories circle the back…back to the beginning, so as to see more clearly. I found the novel, a debut, very engaging
July 25, 2024
It's definitely a slow moving story that you need to take your time with, but I did enjoy it. It interweaves the story of Moby Dick with the women left behind, but it's mainly a story of mothers and daughters and generational traumas.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
October 19, 2025
Having grown up on classic literature that was largely written by men about men, this book was so refreshing. Four generations of women who thought their lives were defined by Ishmael and the Pequod, only to finally determine that their lives were fulfilled from each other instead. I loved reading about each generation of mother trying to keep her own needs and fears at bay while trying to raise her daughter to be as self- possessed as possible. It was beautiful.
June 11, 2025
Cozy coastal read. So good and such a great story
January 6, 2024
Overall, a fantastic read that uses Moby-Dick as a jumping off point before becoming its own thing (although Ishmael remains an important if absent part of the story throughout). I really enjoyed the first two sections, the next two less so, but it came back around at the end. Basically the further the characters got from Nantucket, the less I cared. But the landing was stuck, and that's enough to make me happy.
January 6, 2024
I have been looking forward to reading this book for awhile and it exceeded my expectations. I could not put it down and was totally immersed in this story that follows four generations of women. As I read, I was captivated by their journeys. At times I was anxious, frustrated, or even angry at their poor choices, uplifted by their triumphs, and finally deeply salified when the story comes full circle and the realization came that to get the answers they had been looking for, they didn't need Ishmael, but someone else entirely. Well done Tara Karr Roberts on this debut novel! I look forward to reading the next.
Two parts of the book I have to remark on as an aside:
1. The end of part one was SO powerful. I found myself in tears as it was so moving.
2. When Mara, Tia, and Antonia arrive in Moscow, Idaho and Tia says, "Oh, Maré. Where have you brought us?" I laughed out loud. I worked at the University of Idaho in the International Programs Office in the early 2000s and would often pick students up in the airport in Spokane and then drive them 90 minutes through the rolling prairies of the Palouse to Moscow. I saw that statement reflected in more than a hundred faces, even 100 years later.
Two parts of the book I have to remark on as an aside:
1. The end of part one was SO powerful. I found myself in tears as it was so moving.
2. When Mara, Tia, and Antonia arrive in Moscow, Idaho and Tia says, "Oh, Maré. Where have you brought us?" I laughed out loud. I worked at the University of Idaho in the International Programs Office in the early 2000s and would often pick students up in the airport in Spokane and then drive them 90 minutes through the rolling prairies of the Palouse to Moscow. I saw that statement reflected in more than a hundred faces, even 100 years later.
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