Daughters of Captain Cook

by Linda Spalding

Jesse Quill finds herself grappling with her husband's infidelity and the sanctity of one of the world's greatest taboos when they move to the Hawaiian island of Oahu to reclaim an inherited ancestral estate

217 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1961

About the author

Linda Spalding, Kansas-born Canadian fiction and nonfiction writer, often explores world cultures and the clash between contemporary life and traditional beliefs. Born in Topeka, she lived in Mexico and Hawaii before moving to Toronto, Ontario in 1982.

Spalding's work has been honoured numerous times. Her non-fiction work, The Follow, was shortlisted for the Trillium Book Award and the Writers' Trust Non-Fiction Prize and she has since received the Harbourfront Festival Prize for her contribution to the Canadian literary community.

Her novel, The Purchase, won the 2012 Governor General's Literary Award.

She has two daughters and is currently married to novelist Michael Ondaatje. Linda, her daughter Esta, and Michael are also on the editorial board of the Canadian literary magazine, Brick.

Reviews

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironically, I obtained this book thinking it was a historical account of Captain Cook's progeny, based on a hastily-read (although positive) review of it in Outside magazine. However, despite not being a fan of contemporary fiction at the time, I was immediately swept up in the deliciously woven prose: contemplative, evocative, personal, and mysterious. Its imagery entranced and lulled (but not bored!) me in its depiction of a Hawaii both exotic and yet accessible, while the seedy underbelly of its mystical and tragic plot slowly and deliberately unfolded. Although it seems incogruous for a gothic novel to be set in a tropical paradise, Daughters of Captain Cook is a creepy, compelling, nearly seamless read.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, and read it in about a week (a good sign, as I can take months to read a book if I'm not really into it).

I wasn't hugely keen on the long descriptions of all the plants in Hawaii, I was more interested in the story and the characters. I felt like I wanted to know more about all of the characters, and only got really small details on who they were. Everyone felt like a one dimensional character. I also found the dialogue really weird. I don't know if it's because it takes place in Hawaii and so there's a way of talking that I'm not really familiar with - that and maybe because it's supposed to be in the 70's. Lot's of really odd scenes too, like the man in Jess's room who undressed and then got dressed again because the bed was full of tissues? Very little explanation on that scene. Maybe I missed something!

It really was quite a horrifying tale though, and for sure I was drawn into the mystery of it all. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be like! I was given the book, along with a huge pile of books so I didn't spend any time looking into it. But that made it all the more interesting really.

[Erica Bellinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a quick read. Very well done I thought. The ending was poetic. I prefer more straight forward, conclusive endings... but then I do read more non-fiction and murder mystery type books.

I actually have a signed copy of this book if anyone wants it for a few $ and shipping haha.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

No spoilers. The book is very visual in terms of content and the story is lovely at the beginning.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was as amazing as it was disturbing. Ms. Spalding writes about some very taboo subjects, especially as a haole writing about the old Hawaiian culture. She seemed to be spot-on about the perception of haole by local people, especially in Kailua & particularly Lanikai. While many world cultures have tolerated, and in fact, encouraged incest as a way of keeping bloodlines "pure," it is shocking and wrong to our Christian & Western morality. To hear about it in recent times is unsettling. The way this author compares the old culture to white slave owners and black women as well as with our moral point of view is insightful and thought provoking.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terrible, terrible book. The main character is weak, unlikable and tried to say stay at home moms are useless. Ending the book with the idea that pedophilia as a cultural phenomenum is a good thing was just the rancid icing on top of the mud cake.

[Jocelyn Lupetin · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is NOT going well

[Sharen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linda Spalding has a way of grabbing the reader. Quite the story.