The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed

Patience Goodspeed #1

by Heather Vogel Frederick

October 1835. Patience Goodspeed, almost thirteen years old, departs from Nantucket aboard her father's whaling ship. Between kitchen duty and whale blubber stench, this voyage is far from a pleasure cruise. At least Papa lets Patience assist the ship's navigator since she's so good at calculations.
But the smooth sailing doesn't last long. Mutinous mates maroon most of the crew, including Patience's father and brother, on a deserted island. Can Patience rescue everyone before it's too late?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical, Childrens, Young Adult

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful historical fiction for young readers. Unfortunately it was hard to find, I think indicative of the lack of interest in reading historical fiction in this age group. There was adventure, intrigue and drama with a strong 12 year old female lead. I have the second book already, looking forward to the follow on story in this two book series.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason for Reading: Read aloud to the 9yo to go along with our history studies.

Comments: When 13yo Patience and 6yo Thadeus's father returns from sea he is determined to take them along with him when he next sets sail. Patience's mother has died while Father was away and being Captain of a Nantucket whaler means he spends more time on sea than land, and now Captain Goodspeed is determined to keep his family together. An extremely reluctant Patience and exuberant Tad soon set sail for a 3 year trip. Patience's reluctance mainly stems from her mother's promise that she may continue her mathematical studies with Maria Mitchell, but her father denies her this for the sake of family unity. What follows is a rip-roaring, seafaring adventure filled with storms, nasty and friendly crew members, whaling, mutiny and sorrow.

This was a fabulous book! At first I wondered whether my son would enjoy it, wondering whether it would be a "girl's" book, but I heartily say "Nay!". This book appeals strongly to both boys and girls. The book is written in Patience's voice with occasional entries from her diary. The author has used an authentic mid-1800's speech pattern and vocabulary which truly brings the setting to life though does take a chapter or two to get used to at first (especially when reading out loud). This is one of the best books my son has enjoyed as a read-aloud; he was so involved in this story: hanging on the edge of his seat, yelling out to the characters, coming up with plans for what was going to happen next.

Also, my son is on the Autistic Spectrum and this is the very first book that has made him cry. I was tearing up a bit myself at the same part and when I finished the chapter and looked up there he was with his face in the pillow, he looks at me with tear stained face and says "That's so sad!" It is hard for him to feel other's emotions but this part (I won't give it away!) struck him as a feeling he could have, and thus he felt for the characters. It was quite a moment!

Patience is a strong female character. Though probably not typical of the era, she is not utterly unusual either, i.e. the references to Maria Mitchell. In private she fights about her limitations as a girl but in public she is respectful of her superiors as a female (especially a well-bred child) would be in that day and age. The rest of the characters are a colourful lot with the bad bad and the good good and no grey characters or showing sympathy for the bad ones, which I do prefer to see in books for this age group. The book also contains a fair dose of humour and when we weren't caught up in the action we were having a good laugh. Highly recommended for both boys and girls!

There is a sequel, The Education of Patience Goodspeed, which I intend to read sometime but from it's summary it appears to be coming-of-age story partially set in a girl's boarding school, making it not something the 9yob would enjoy. So I'll save it as a read-alone for myself later.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good middle-grade novel about the whaling industry in the early 1800s. I can't really imagine there are lot of novels in that category...

It seems to be well-researched (not that I actually know anything about the whaling industry of the time) and, well, appropriately sanitized for the age level. I'm pretty sure she's glossing over a lot of the dirt and grime and especially the crew's behavior. Even if most of the crew might not have been bad guys, the actual bad guys of the story would have been WAY worse than how they are portrayed here. (See Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer if you want the next level up, as far as seafaring goes.)


Not that I'm complaining, mind you. There is certainly death and violence but Frederick keeps it just right for her chosen age level.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful writing! I love it! I bless the day that I bought it at a used library book sale.

Great plot, interesting characters, and a certain relish for words that brings it all to life. A similar plot to the "Charlotte Doyle" story by Avi, but it's a great book with it's own voice.

I love the writing style! It's fresh and real, and the occasional subtle use of alliteration is genius.
One phrase particularly stayed in my mind, "Something that had clenched tight inside me unfurled at his words like a sail in a fresh breeze." An excellent simile with vivid words!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Patience Goodspeed and her younger brother, six-year-old Tad, were raised by their mother in Nantucket while their father, the captain of a whaling ship, sailed the world on long voyages lasting up to four years. But when their mother dies, Patience's father decides that she and Tad will accompany him on his next voyage on the Morning Star. Patience doesn't want to leave Nantucket and live on a whaling ship. She finds it hard to adjust to life on board, and misses lessons with her math tutor back to Nantucket. But when a mutiny occurs on board the ship, Patience -- and her talent for math -- may be all that can save her father.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy middle grade historical fiction. It is very well written, and the story flows along well. Patience is a great character, and I loved the setting on board a whaling ship, as this is an unusual setting in historical fiction for kids and teens. I can't wait to read the sequel and find out what adventures await Patience next.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm wavering between 4 and 5 stars. This is the author's debut novel, and as such, I feel it a really good start to her career as an author. I have read several of her later books, and although some were entertaining and engaging, I felt that this first book had more depth. I hope that the sequel to this one is just as well done.

Patience and her brother Thaddeus are brought along with their father (captain of a whaling vessel) on his latest whaling journey. The story is set in 1835-1836. Readers learn of daily life onboard a ship, a chapter or two is devoted to a whale hunt and the processing of their cargo (whale blubber, oil), and readers experience storms, conflict and more along with Patience on her journey. I really liked the fact that Patience was good at math and she was able to use these skills to learn navigation techniques and put them to use over the course of the novel.

I will definitely be reading the sequel.

[Kenzi Kraync · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this one it wasnt't my favorite but it was OK. I thought it was great because she WANTED to learn, I like to learn some things but I don't absolutely have to learn abd she did she loved to learn and another thing she always had faith in herself when she thought she could do something she did it, in one part of the book some of the ships crew turned on them and sent her father,her little brother and some of the others out on to a deserted island to stay and they kept her because she could make realy good biscuits and some of the others they kept because of other things that they could do, but anyway, she was set on remembering were her dad and brother were so that she could go back and get them and after they all worked together to take the ship back over she did find them just like she knew she would!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it's amazing that Patience survives her experiences, it is fun to read of a strong female character and her adventures onboard a ship.

[Maria . · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed was a enjoyable-enough read. As much as I liked the rich historical plot and details, the story and the characters lack something. Something I can't quite put my finger on......Character? Well, sorta.....The characters, to be honest, didn't have much character. I felt no strong feelings for Patience, no feelings of hate for Bridgewater, Binyon, and Todd, and no feelings of admiration for the captain. Charlie Fishback, however, I enjoyed. Surprisingly though, since he was a minor character. Imagination? Kind of sort of not really. Good writing style AND character' characters? YES!
I do have to give this a fairly good rating though, as it was interesting and imaginative enough.
Meh.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patience Goodspeed finds herself on board the Morning Star, a whaleship captained by her father, after the death of her mother. Though she initially does not want to be on the voyage, Patience adapts to life aboard ship - until something threatens not only her ship, but her family as well.

A story for fans of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, this is a great book to introduce 19th century ship life and whaling to ages 10-12. I read it to prepare to teach it, and found it a bit formulaic with simplistic writing, but 4th - 7th graders will enjoy the plucky heroine from Nantucket.

[Cmf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good historical fiction.

[Sylvia Caruvana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, exciting story which also teaches about nautical terms and concepts.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun!

[Drew Ritter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fantastic book that tells the story of 13-year-old Patience and her 6-year-old brother Thaddeus, who go on a whaling expedition with their father. However, things turn for the worse when Bilgewater, Bunyon, and Toad arrive, and they maroon Papa, Tad, and other crew members on an island. Despite this setback, Patience and the remaining crew members take control of the ship and rescue Papa and Tad. The book is full of adventure and excitement, and it's worth a read!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book aloud in conjunction with Heart of Dakota's Revival to Revolution curriculum package. My son and I both enjoyed the high-seas adventure.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read this story for a unit lesson plan. I quickly became so engrossed in the story that I forgot about looking for lesson plan ideas and read the entire book in a matter of hours (which is rare for me because I despise sitting still for too long). The story is about a 12 year old girl, and her younger brother, who has her school year mapped out in front of her. Patience has a love of math and is very excited to start learning with her math tutor. That is until her father drops a bomb on her at the supper table. Since the loss of his wife, Patience's father feels the need to have his children close to him (despite the lack of affection he shows them) and informs them they will be accompanying him on his next voyage. Patience's father is the captain of a whaling ship and this voyage he speaks so casually of is three years long! Well, as you can imagine, Patience is outraged by this. Who wants to live on a boat for three years? This story takes place in a time where you simply did not disobey your parents, however, and Patience and her brother set sail not to long after the order.

There is plenty of adventure in this story, including that of Tad (the little brother) falling overboard on the very first day. I never got bored reading this and actually found myself a bit misty eyed at parts. Especially those of how Patience longed for affection from her dad because she so incredibly missed her mother. Ms. Frederick did a fabulous job, in my opinion, of weaving that troubled relationship throughout the entire story. As for the end, well, you'll have to discover that on your own.

I did go back and re-read several chapters because, like I said, this book was initially picked for a lesson plan and discovered so many opportunities. There are lesson possibilities galore with all the navigation, new vocabulary, and even the different ways children may interpret the characters, the events on the ship, the different settings. I could go on but will just finish by saying, read this book! I really did enjoy every bit of it.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of 'The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle'

Historical fiction coming of age novel about a 12yr old girl, Patience Goodspeed, from Nantucket Island. Her father is the captain of a whaling ship and is gone for years at a time each trip he takes. Her mother dies while he is away and when he returns, against her will, he decides he will take her and her younger brother Thaddeus on his next trip so that the family would stay together. Patience Goodspeed is a math whiz and would love to stay home, the place that reminds her of mama, and where she could go to school and continue her studies. Once on the ship her and her brother Tad (Thaddeus) slowly become accostomed to life on a dangerous whaling ship. After his initial reluctance, Patience father decides to teach Patience the navigational skills of a first mate. It is fortunate that he does so because when his new first mate decides to take over the ship and maroon her Papa, brother and a handful of other crew members, Patience is able to calculate the latitude of the island to relocate them once they can get the ship back into the right hands. Patience plans a risky, but successful scheme for the takeover of the ship and they are reunited with her Papa, Tad, and the others within a week. Lovely story that turns into quite and adventure, that you definetely don't want to put down once the action starts. Appropriate for students in grades 5 through 7.

[Alexandria Hiam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of 'The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle'

Historical fiction coming of age novel about a 12yr old girl, Patience Goodspeed, from Nantucket Island. Her father is the captain of a whaling ship and is gone for years at a time each trip he takes. Her mother dies while he is away and when he returns, against her will, he decides he will take her and her younger brother Thaddeus on his next trip so that the family would stay together. Patience Goodspeed is a math whiz and would love to stay home, the place that reminds her of mama, and where she could go to school and continue her studies. Once on the ship her and her brother Tad (Thaddeus) slowly become accostomed to life on a dangerous whaling ship. After his initial reluctance, Patience father decides to teach Patience the navigational skills of a first mate. It is fortunate that he does so because when his new first mate decides to take over the ship and maroon her Papa, brother and a handful of other crew members, Patience is able to calculate the latitude of the island to relocate them once they can get the ship back into the right hands. Patience plans a risky, but successful scheme for the takeover of the ship and they are reunited with her Papa, Tad, and the others within a week. Lovely story that turns into quite and adventure, that you definetely don't want to put down once the action starts. Appropriate for students in grades 5 through 7.

[Your Common House Bat · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this was another average read. As far as children's literature goes though, it was really good. It was paced well enough that a young reader would remain captivated, but was still able to get a good build up before getting into the action. I must say I just love books that are set aboard a ship/at sea. I also liked Patience as a narrator; I feel like she could be a good role model for a young reader. While she realistically back talks and questions her father some, in the end she's very well mannered. But at the same time she's a tough and smart girl. I think it's important for young girls to know that they can be both respectful and 'proper' (for lack of better words) but still show brain-power, skill, and fight. In other words I enjoyed reading Patience's story. Thaddeus was cute too.

[Erin Burke Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annotation and Comment: Patience Goodspeed, a math whiz, has experienced a great loss with the death of her mother. Shortly thereafter, her father orders her and her little brother along on a whaling expedition. Patience’s strong character and mathematical abilities are a great asset on the voyage. The conflict is one of the stronger elements of this story and the reader becomes concerned about Patience’s well-being fairly early on. This novel could be used in a cross-curricular reading assignment in a math class or used as an excellent piece of children’s literature in an English class.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good solid, if somewhat uninspired, piece of historical fiction set during the era of the whaling trade. What I liked: Patience was a strong heroine, with quite reasonable doubts about the situation she was in. That she possessed high level mathematical talents-- and resulting navigator skills- were a great change of pace from the usual; combining that with skill in baking made for a good mix that was historically believable. There are lots of details about whaling, though even the scene with the first whale-catch isn't so graphic as to throw students off. There's lots here for even traditional kids of both genders to enjoy. It just lacked a certain spark for me.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

gr 5-7 213 pgs


1835, whaling ship. 13 year old Patience is horrified when her widowed father decides to take her and her 6 year old brother Tad on his whaling ship. Unlike Tad who is excited about the trip, Patience longs to stay on Nantucket and continue her studies. But despite her feelings, her father insists on bringing them both along.

This book was a great story. Although there is a female protagonist, I think this story would also appeal to boys. The story has a lot of action.

[moved to storygraph robina_khalid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant enough read, but despite the unique premise was a bit predictable. As well, none of the characters had much depth and seemed rather like caricatures. I'm giving it three stars because of its creativity in premise/research, because I always appreciate YA books with strong female characters (especially ones who are good in math!), and because it is just endearing enough that I would feel guilty rating it below three stars.

[Sallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating story! At first, I too wondered just why Capt Goodspeed insisted on taking his children on a whaling ship, but then we wouldn't have a story would we? I love all the sailing information, even the taking of a sperm whale, since one of my great-great grandfathers sailed on a whaling ship as the carpenter in the early 1860s. I had to stay up late to keep reading once the mutineers took over the ship. Love the nicknames for them all! Great, great story.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first and only read aloud that I gave up on this year. I was bored from the first page. I asked the kids if they wanted to quit reading it after three chapters. They said they liked it, so I forged on. Two chapters later they were ready to quit it as well.

Not to mention that graphic descriptions of whale slaughtering are not conducive to lunchtime reading.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book for kids with a little of what a whaleing ship might have been like. I had a hard time with the reality that a father would take his children aborad ship knowing the dangers. Overall a good time reading.

[Valerie L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7 is more what I would rate this book. For ages 8 - 14 I would rate it a 4 star! Patience is 13 and about to set sail on her father's whaling ship. Smooth sailing is not what she expects - nor what she gets! Great quick read - adventure and a lot of ship!:)

[Ta N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun heroine with plenty of spirit; and learn a lot about Cape Cod whaling in the process. I've read this book several times over, easy read, especially love the poems at the beginning of each chapter, too!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book :) I read it for a class I am taking... but I was pulled in and engaged with the writing of Heather Vogel Frederick! The characters were entertaining... and I really enjoyed the storyline. It was believable and fun to read. I am going to save it out for my own kids to read!

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life aboard a whaling vessel in the 1830s.