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The Sea Captain's Wife
Growing up on the Bay of Fundy, Azuba Galloway dreams of going to sea. She watches magnificent ships slowly making their way into Whelan’s Cove, the sense of exoticism bursting from their holds along with foreign goods.
As a young woman, Azuba marries a seasoned merchant sea captain, Nathaniel Bradstock. Unwilling to have him away at sea for most of their married life, and anxious to see far shores, she extracts a promise that he will take her with him. But Azuba becomes pregnant soon after they marry and Nathaniel knows too well the perils of life on a ship. He reneges on his promise and refuses to allow Azuba to join him.
When Nathaniel leaves on his journey, Azuba desperately misses her husband. Days turn into weeks and months – voyages can take two, three years before the ship and crew return home. Despite her loneliness, Azuba becomes a strong, independent woman, caring for her child and her home. With her parents and beloved grandmother nearby, she settles into a life of quietude and predictability, all the while yearning to be by her husband’s side aboard his ship.
Her loneliness eventually propels her into a friendship with the local vicar, Reverend Simon Walton. He is a quiet, kind and contemplative man, and Azuba takes comfort and enjoyment in their increasingly intimate friendship. One afternoon, despite her misgivings, Azuba goes on a picnic with the vicar and becomes trapped by the tide. When they return home the next morning, Azuba and Reverend Walton have become a topic of gossip.
When Nathaniel returns home he is enraged by her impropriety. Reluctantly he decides to take Azuba and their young daughter, Carrie, with him on his next voyage. Mother and child are loaded from a rowboat and hauled onto the weather deck along with barrels of coal and crates of chickens. Nathaniel has drawn a line across the deck. “You’ll never again cross that line,” he instructs Azuba.
It is October 1862. It will be three years before Azuba sees the shores of Whelan’s Cove again. Aboard Traveller , the small family visits places Azuba dreamed she would one day London, San Francisco and exotic countries in Europe.
But she also experiences the terror that can come during a life at a harrowing passage around Cape Horn, half-starvation while listlessly floating in the doldrums, and a stop at the Chincha Islands to pick up a load of guano, where she witnesses a mass suicide by slaves. She begins to question her decision to join her husband, particularly when she realizes there is “no way to erase horror from a child’s memory.”
Misery follows misfortune and Azuba feels alone in a male world, surrounded by the splendour and the terror of the open sea. The voyage tests not only her already precarious marriage, but everything Azuba believes in.
With a sure hand, Beth Powning captures life aboard a sailing ship – ferocious storms, the impossibly isolated ports of call, the gruelling daily routine – and shows how love evolves even in the most extreme circumstances.
The Sea Captain’s Wife is an awe-inspiring tour that captures the vigour of life in the last days of the Age of Sail and gives us an unforgettable young heroine who shows compassion, courage and love while under incredible duress.
As a young woman, Azuba marries a seasoned merchant sea captain, Nathaniel Bradstock. Unwilling to have him away at sea for most of their married life, and anxious to see far shores, she extracts a promise that he will take her with him. But Azuba becomes pregnant soon after they marry and Nathaniel knows too well the perils of life on a ship. He reneges on his promise and refuses to allow Azuba to join him.
When Nathaniel leaves on his journey, Azuba desperately misses her husband. Days turn into weeks and months – voyages can take two, three years before the ship and crew return home. Despite her loneliness, Azuba becomes a strong, independent woman, caring for her child and her home. With her parents and beloved grandmother nearby, she settles into a life of quietude and predictability, all the while yearning to be by her husband’s side aboard his ship.
Her loneliness eventually propels her into a friendship with the local vicar, Reverend Simon Walton. He is a quiet, kind and contemplative man, and Azuba takes comfort and enjoyment in their increasingly intimate friendship. One afternoon, despite her misgivings, Azuba goes on a picnic with the vicar and becomes trapped by the tide. When they return home the next morning, Azuba and Reverend Walton have become a topic of gossip.
When Nathaniel returns home he is enraged by her impropriety. Reluctantly he decides to take Azuba and their young daughter, Carrie, with him on his next voyage. Mother and child are loaded from a rowboat and hauled onto the weather deck along with barrels of coal and crates of chickens. Nathaniel has drawn a line across the deck. “You’ll never again cross that line,” he instructs Azuba.
It is October 1862. It will be three years before Azuba sees the shores of Whelan’s Cove again. Aboard Traveller , the small family visits places Azuba dreamed she would one day London, San Francisco and exotic countries in Europe.
But she also experiences the terror that can come during a life at a harrowing passage around Cape Horn, half-starvation while listlessly floating in the doldrums, and a stop at the Chincha Islands to pick up a load of guano, where she witnesses a mass suicide by slaves. She begins to question her decision to join her husband, particularly when she realizes there is “no way to erase horror from a child’s memory.”
Misery follows misfortune and Azuba feels alone in a male world, surrounded by the splendour and the terror of the open sea. The voyage tests not only her already precarious marriage, but everything Azuba believes in.
With a sure hand, Beth Powning captures life aboard a sailing ship – ferocious storms, the impossibly isolated ports of call, the gruelling daily routine – and shows how love evolves even in the most extreme circumstances.
The Sea Captain’s Wife is an awe-inspiring tour that captures the vigour of life in the last days of the Age of Sail and gives us an unforgettable young heroine who shows compassion, courage and love while under incredible duress.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
44 people are currently reading
1948 people want to read
About the author
Beth Powning
17 books103 followersBeth Powning was born in Hampton, Connecticut. She attended E.O. Smith High School, and Sarah Lawrence College, where she majored in creative writing. Powning moved to New Brunswick, Canada in 1970.
Powning's work has been widely published in books, anthologies, and magazines. She is known for her lyrical, powerful writing and the profound emotional honesty of her work.
Her latest novel, "The Sister's Tale", will be released by Knopf Canada in both Canada and the US on May 25, 2021. Set in the 1887 maritimes provinces, it includes characters from "The Sea Captain's Wife" and concerns home children, suffragists, and women's rights.
Her 2015 novel, " A Measure of Light", was a Globe and Mail Bestseller, a Globe and Mail Best Book, long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Award, and the winner of the N.B. Book Award for Fiction. In the USA, "A Measure of Light" was a Sam's Club Best Book for March, 2018.
Beth Powning's novel, "The Sea Captain's Wife" was short-listed for the Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award, in Canada.; and was a Barnes and Noble Discover Award Book, in the USA. The novel has been long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It was translated into French by Editions Perce-Neige, with distribution in Canada and France.
"The Hatbox Letters" was also long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Award, and was a Globe and Mail Best Book.
Powning also won Canada's Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for High Achievement in English-Language Literary Arts and has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University.
She has appeared at literary festivals across Canada, in Ireland, and the UK.
She lives in a 19th century farmhouse in rural New Brunswick, Canada, with her husband, sculptor Peter Powning.
Powning's work has been widely published in books, anthologies, and magazines. She is known for her lyrical, powerful writing and the profound emotional honesty of her work.
Her latest novel, "The Sister's Tale", will be released by Knopf Canada in both Canada and the US on May 25, 2021. Set in the 1887 maritimes provinces, it includes characters from "The Sea Captain's Wife" and concerns home children, suffragists, and women's rights.
Her 2015 novel, " A Measure of Light", was a Globe and Mail Bestseller, a Globe and Mail Best Book, long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Award, and the winner of the N.B. Book Award for Fiction. In the USA, "A Measure of Light" was a Sam's Club Best Book for March, 2018.
Beth Powning's novel, "The Sea Captain's Wife" was short-listed for the Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award, in Canada.; and was a Barnes and Noble Discover Award Book, in the USA. The novel has been long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It was translated into French by Editions Perce-Neige, with distribution in Canada and France.
"The Hatbox Letters" was also long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Award, and was a Globe and Mail Best Book.
Powning also won Canada's Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for High Achievement in English-Language Literary Arts and has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University.
She has appeared at literary festivals across Canada, in Ireland, and the UK.
She lives in a 19th century farmhouse in rural New Brunswick, Canada, with her husband, sculptor Peter Powning.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
July 4, 2023
A swashbuckling adventure on the high seas! As a reader, we encounter seasickness, storms, pirates and other perils. Sometimes, it is just the beauty and the stillness of it all. We disembark at foreign ports and are exposed to other cultures. But back on that ship we go, hoping for good weather and safe travels.
If you appreciate a good old fashioned yarn, then this book is for you! I, personally, enjoyed my voyage!
Published: 2010
If you appreciate a good old fashioned yarn, then this book is for you! I, personally, enjoyed my voyage!
Published: 2010
October 22, 2025
This book takes readers back to the "Golden Age" of sail in the British colony of New Brunswick Canada. Beth Powning shines a light on the little mentioned women who stood by their husbands side as they sailed the seas. Powning doesn't romance this journey either-death,sickness, pirates, and starvation are a part of the story too. A book that I just couldn't stop reading!
May 2, 2013
This was the first really slow read I've had in a long time. I don't mean it was slow because there was nothing happening in the book or slow to pick up because I didn't like it. It was slow because the words were so poetic and vivid, earnestly transporting me to a place I could see so clearly in my mind. Beautiful writing indeed.
It was an interesting take on the sea-faring husband, adventure-seeking wife combo that seems to be popular. The sharp contrast between Nathaniel's characters as family man versus Captain was hard to take at times, but proved even further why he hesitated to allow his family on the ship. I'm still not sure if I truly believe that Azuba's friendship with the Reverend was completely platonic (even though we know nothing happened between them). There were moments when it felt like their emotions were being described as two people starting to feel something more than friendship for the other. Love, no. Just something more.
All in all, a really nice read.
It was an interesting take on the sea-faring husband, adventure-seeking wife combo that seems to be popular. The sharp contrast between Nathaniel's characters as family man versus Captain was hard to take at times, but proved even further why he hesitated to allow his family on the ship. I'm still not sure if I truly believe that Azuba's friendship with the Reverend was completely platonic (even though we know nothing happened between them). There were moments when it felt like their emotions were being described as two people starting to feel something more than friendship for the other. Love, no. Just something more.
All in all, a really nice read.
February 6, 2017
When I first started this novel, I wondered if I was about to be dropped into an idealistic romance on the oceans. So wrong! This book is of much sterner stuff than that.
The novel is written through the eyes of Azuba, a young wife to sea captain, Nathaniel Bradstock. After the loss of their second child through a late miscarriage while Nathaniel is at sea, Azuba's desire to join her husband on the oceans seems perfectly reasonable - and his refusal, prideful, stubborn and harsh. It takes a matter of questionable virtue through a misadventure with the local reverend, for the lonely young woman to be finally spirited aboard Nathaniel's ship, along with the couple's young daughter, Carrie.
During that voyage reality hits as Azuba and young Carrie face the harsh realities of a life at sea. Nathaniel treats them like members of the crew, with gruff orders and brusque exchanges, making it obvious he has no desire to have them aboard. They're nearly shipwrecked, face freezing conditions, starvation, overbearing heat, loss of life, threats of mutiny and so many other difficulties, that by the end of the first voyage, Azuba entertains how easy it could be to leave her mulish husband and return home with Carrie to become the token shipmaster's wife she's expected to be, patiently awaiting her hardworking husband's return, whilst enjoying the spoils of his business exploits. Tempted, she ultimately recognises that her return would be the end of their marriage, as a marriage ought to be, and also their family. So she chooses her often foul-tempered husband, risking herself and their child, and determines they belong together, for better or for worse.
Over and again, Azuba chooses to grow up instead of opt out. Yes, men and women are different and bring these complementary opposites to marriage, but tested under such gruelling conditions, I fear in our modern world her 'right to happiness' would have overrun whatever promises had been made through their wedding vows. She refuses to be sat in a corner; chooses to question Nathaniel's methods and, to his annoyance, draw out his thoughts; determines to become educated in his craft; until finally he begins to recognise her strengths in problem solving and intelligence - the very things he loved about her from the start. Azuba, in turn, begins to understand that Nathaniel's gruffness is a cover for his fear of not being able to protect them, along with underlying doubts relating to her questionable interactions with the reverend.
In letting go of her once ignorant ideals of what a seafaring life ought to be and choosing to be with her husband, Azuba refuses to be a wallflower wife. This ultimately leads to a more intimate understanding of each other and a tougher love than either of them ever would have known had they settled for what seemed an easier option. It's not what she ever expected love and life to be, but it's strong, durable and more than she could have imagined. And then the cruellest blow is struck.
I won't ruin the ending, but Azuba's tenacity and strength of character is not flawless. She wrestles with herself and Nathaniel, and occasionally rails at her situation, but through this gains respect for her husband, and mutally from him. I liked that nothing was sugar coated. Even in the aftermath of the worst possible terror, the long process of healing (emotional and physical) wasn't rushed or 'quick-fixed' as it could have been. Because they had weathered the previous storms in their relationship, instead of blame laying they owned their part in the situation, and understood more fully the wounds that had been dealt to each other's soul, allowing them to navigate a way forward, together. It was a wonderful picture of marriage, with all the challenges of self and togetherness, and the hard choices a husband and wife are forced to make to see that relationship grow.
Excellently written and packed with substance.
The novel is written through the eyes of Azuba, a young wife to sea captain, Nathaniel Bradstock. After the loss of their second child through a late miscarriage while Nathaniel is at sea, Azuba's desire to join her husband on the oceans seems perfectly reasonable - and his refusal, prideful, stubborn and harsh. It takes a matter of questionable virtue through a misadventure with the local reverend, for the lonely young woman to be finally spirited aboard Nathaniel's ship, along with the couple's young daughter, Carrie.
During that voyage reality hits as Azuba and young Carrie face the harsh realities of a life at sea. Nathaniel treats them like members of the crew, with gruff orders and brusque exchanges, making it obvious he has no desire to have them aboard. They're nearly shipwrecked, face freezing conditions, starvation, overbearing heat, loss of life, threats of mutiny and so many other difficulties, that by the end of the first voyage, Azuba entertains how easy it could be to leave her mulish husband and return home with Carrie to become the token shipmaster's wife she's expected to be, patiently awaiting her hardworking husband's return, whilst enjoying the spoils of his business exploits. Tempted, she ultimately recognises that her return would be the end of their marriage, as a marriage ought to be, and also their family. So she chooses her often foul-tempered husband, risking herself and their child, and determines they belong together, for better or for worse.
Over and again, Azuba chooses to grow up instead of opt out. Yes, men and women are different and bring these complementary opposites to marriage, but tested under such gruelling conditions, I fear in our modern world her 'right to happiness' would have overrun whatever promises had been made through their wedding vows. She refuses to be sat in a corner; chooses to question Nathaniel's methods and, to his annoyance, draw out his thoughts; determines to become educated in his craft; until finally he begins to recognise her strengths in problem solving and intelligence - the very things he loved about her from the start. Azuba, in turn, begins to understand that Nathaniel's gruffness is a cover for his fear of not being able to protect them, along with underlying doubts relating to her questionable interactions with the reverend.
In letting go of her once ignorant ideals of what a seafaring life ought to be and choosing to be with her husband, Azuba refuses to be a wallflower wife. This ultimately leads to a more intimate understanding of each other and a tougher love than either of them ever would have known had they settled for what seemed an easier option. It's not what she ever expected love and life to be, but it's strong, durable and more than she could have imagined. And then the cruellest blow is struck.
I won't ruin the ending, but Azuba's tenacity and strength of character is not flawless. She wrestles with herself and Nathaniel, and occasionally rails at her situation, but through this gains respect for her husband, and mutally from him. I liked that nothing was sugar coated. Even in the aftermath of the worst possible terror, the long process of healing (emotional and physical) wasn't rushed or 'quick-fixed' as it could have been. Because they had weathered the previous storms in their relationship, instead of blame laying they owned their part in the situation, and understood more fully the wounds that had been dealt to each other's soul, allowing them to navigate a way forward, together. It was a wonderful picture of marriage, with all the challenges of self and togetherness, and the hard choices a husband and wife are forced to make to see that relationship grow.
Excellently written and packed with substance.
June 25, 2017
This book...... PUT ME IN SUCH A SLUMP!
I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED BY THIS BOOK. I thought I would love it but noooooooooooooooooooo
First of all, the author kept telling what happened. You never experienced anything so when "major events" occurred, you're just like, "oh that was a crucial moment? Their lives were in danger? oh"
This book takes place on a boat. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA. I didn't feel immersed in the world at all. Powning doesn't bother teaching the reader nautical terms. Doesn't bother explaining ship terminology. Doesn't bother to even mention that THERE WAS A GLOSSARY AT THE BACK OF THE BOOK!
Plot:
What plot? Was this supposed to be a character driven book?? Because if so, then Azuba (MC) needs revamping.
They're just sailing out at sea. Do you get to see that? Experience that? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
You're seeing everything from Azuba's perspective which is just bland and boring.
There are events that do occur but the reader is so drawn away from the book that you don't even understand what is happening or why. Character's starve, die, get injuries and yet when these events occurred I was just wondering who this character was again. I was not impacted by all the events that occur and the whole time I was just thinking, "why is this happening? What's going on?".
Characters:
Ok, the relationship between Nathaniel and Azuba is relatively nice and expected for the time century for the most part. There was an incident that technically spurred the entire "plot" but Nathaniel never apologizes to Azuba for not trusting her.
Azuba, oh, Azuba. I wanted to like her but I couldn't. This women wanted to run away to sea with her husband. Understandable.
So when she gets her chance what does she do?
Spend most of her time sewing and taking care of her daughter.
and singing
Lots of singing
Sure she reads a book that talks about sailing. Does she mention this to her husband? Does she try to help out? No For most of the book she does nothing. Later she does take a firmer stand but by god who's going to stand around and read age after page of a mother taking care of her kid?
I also think she's too motherly. Like her kid is clearly able to entertain herself. Why can't Azuba DO SOMETHING.
And don't even get me started once she gets pregnant again.
OH MY GOD
She decides to not tell her husband until MUCH LATER
She also decides to not tell anyone else because what if one of them tells her husband?
And yet, at a dinner party, upon speaking with the lady of the house she decides to blab to this unknown women of her condition.
WOW
You won't tell you husband but you'll tell a complete stranger.
Oh god, I don't even understand what was the point of this book?
I can't with this book
bye
I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED BY THIS BOOK. I thought I would love it but noooooooooooooooooooo
First of all, the author kept telling what happened. You never experienced anything so when "major events" occurred, you're just like, "oh that was a crucial moment? Their lives were in danger? oh"
This book takes place on a boat. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA. I didn't feel immersed in the world at all. Powning doesn't bother teaching the reader nautical terms. Doesn't bother explaining ship terminology. Doesn't bother to even mention that THERE WAS A GLOSSARY AT THE BACK OF THE BOOK!
Plot:
What plot? Was this supposed to be a character driven book?? Because if so, then Azuba (MC) needs revamping.
They're just sailing out at sea. Do you get to see that? Experience that? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
You're seeing everything from Azuba's perspective which is just bland and boring.
There are events that do occur but the reader is so drawn away from the book that you don't even understand what is happening or why. Character's starve, die, get injuries and yet when these events occurred I was just wondering who this character was again. I was not impacted by all the events that occur and the whole time I was just thinking, "why is this happening? What's going on?".
Characters:
Ok, the relationship between Nathaniel and Azuba is relatively nice and expected for the time century for the most part. There was an incident that technically spurred the entire "plot" but Nathaniel never apologizes to Azuba for not trusting her.
Azuba, oh, Azuba. I wanted to like her but I couldn't. This women wanted to run away to sea with her husband. Understandable.
So when she gets her chance what does she do?
Spend most of her time sewing and taking care of her daughter.
and singing
Lots of singing
Sure she reads a book that talks about sailing. Does she mention this to her husband? Does she try to help out? No For most of the book she does nothing. Later she does take a firmer stand but by god who's going to stand around and read age after page of a mother taking care of her kid?
I also think she's too motherly. Like her kid is clearly able to entertain herself. Why can't Azuba DO SOMETHING.
And don't even get me started once she gets pregnant again.
OH MY GOD
She decides to not tell her husband until MUCH LATER
She also decides to not tell anyone else because what if one of them tells her husband?
And yet, at a dinner party, upon speaking with the lady of the house she decides to blab to this unknown women of her condition.
WOW
You won't tell you husband but you'll tell a complete stranger.
Oh god, I don't even understand what was the point of this book?
I can't with this book
bye
May 15, 2018
I really enjoyed the adventure of this book. A life on a ship on the ocean sounds terrifying to me. I didn’t love any of the characters, though they were realistic. However I loved the story. It wasn’t happy, it was full of trauma and bad choices but I loved the book for the way it sucked me Into what was happening to the characters. The writing is descriptive and paints a perfect picture. I feel the author was trying to create a realistic life of a sea captain, his crew, his family and what it would be like to live on a ship for months or even years at a time. A very rough life. Not pretty or romantic in anyway. So for as much as I love romance the fact that this book was real and didn’t sugar coat anything I respect the author for that even more.
April 5, 2012
This book had some interesting and engaging themes. I had not read about wives of Sea Captain's who traveled with their husbands before and all the excitement, hardship and peril that went with it. Still I didn't really "see" or get a "feel" for the ship and the lifestyle and couldn't help comparing it to the much Superior (in my opinion) historical novels of Diana Gabaldon (The outlander series).
August 19, 2024
Loved this book. I don’t know how she did it, but Ms Powning brought us right into the high seas. Into the love/family relationships, into the life of a sea captain. I loved it personally bc my great grandfather was a sea captain in this period, from Glasgow. My grandfather’s middle name is Valparaiso, born there in 1879. Loved having a glimpse into their lives. Sadly, my great gf died at sea; his ship went down rounding Cape Horn. (With his four sons and wife safely at home in Scotland) 🤍
January 10, 2024
Really enjoyed this one, with an added bonus of it being written by a local author! Complicated personal relationships, swashbuckling adventure, and a good dose of danger kept me turning the pages.
March 2, 2015
I don't need you men to do my thinking for me.
Azuba loves Whelan's Cove but yearns for adventure. She has always been in love with the sea & has always wanted to travel. To see the world. This is her story about leaving the comfort & beauty of her home on the Bay of Fundy; about leaving behind her family & friends for an adventure -- for love.
Her loneliness while Nathaniel was away is heart-wrenching. She suffers personal tragedy while her husband is at sea, so when Simon (Reverend Walton) arrives in the small coastal town, he brought with him companionship for Azuba.
This was more than a simple friendship, and she had sensed, for some time, that it was bound to end.
The relationship between the Reverend & Azuba was lovely -- it seemed completely innocent, but may have led to something more than platonic had the incident not happened. Nathaniel then returns & the gossip is essentially what propels him to take Azuba & Carrie on the boat, away from the Bay of Fundy, becoming the seafaring family Azuba always wanted.
It was fascinating to read about a woman in the male dominated world on the sailing ship. Life on the sea. Nineteenth century. Women & children on merchant & whaling vessels. Grueling day to day, terrifying storms, homesickness. The subject matter was obviously well researched.
In New Brunswick, the pin cherries would be in bloom, their frail, pink-white blossoms rippling on a cool wind while dandelions made yellow blankets on the field.
Beth Powning's incredible descriptions made visualizing New Brunswick easy. It brought back feelings I have had while living there. I truly became homesick whilst reading this. There is so much I miss about New Brunswick -- but like Azuba, I had to go on my own adventure & leave much of what I knew, people I love, behind. Moving across the country was both the hardest & most rewarding thing for my partner & I. New Brunswick will always be our home; we are born & bred there. It is a beautiful place, with genuinely lovely people. Beth Powning does a great job at capturing this in the book.
Her writing is so poetic -- the language certainly puts you in the time period, without feeling forced. When the pirates attack in China? Wow. Violent, raw, emotional. I was absolutely shaking for the last 50 or so pages. What a tragic ordeal.
This is about trying to keep a family together amidst a time when men would be away from the home for months, even years. It is about the harsh realities on the sea; tragedy; loneliness; adventure.
Love, like hope, changed. It was buried in small moments and came most strongly when least expected.
(Popsugar Challenge: A book that takes place in your hometown)
Azuba loves Whelan's Cove but yearns for adventure. She has always been in love with the sea & has always wanted to travel. To see the world. This is her story about leaving the comfort & beauty of her home on the Bay of Fundy; about leaving behind her family & friends for an adventure -- for love.
Her loneliness while Nathaniel was away is heart-wrenching. She suffers personal tragedy while her husband is at sea, so when Simon (Reverend Walton) arrives in the small coastal town, he brought with him companionship for Azuba.
This was more than a simple friendship, and she had sensed, for some time, that it was bound to end.
The relationship between the Reverend & Azuba was lovely -- it seemed completely innocent, but may have led to something more than platonic had the incident not happened. Nathaniel then returns & the gossip is essentially what propels him to take Azuba & Carrie on the boat, away from the Bay of Fundy, becoming the seafaring family Azuba always wanted.
It was fascinating to read about a woman in the male dominated world on the sailing ship. Life on the sea. Nineteenth century. Women & children on merchant & whaling vessels. Grueling day to day, terrifying storms, homesickness. The subject matter was obviously well researched.
In New Brunswick, the pin cherries would be in bloom, their frail, pink-white blossoms rippling on a cool wind while dandelions made yellow blankets on the field.
Beth Powning's incredible descriptions made visualizing New Brunswick easy. It brought back feelings I have had while living there. I truly became homesick whilst reading this. There is so much I miss about New Brunswick -- but like Azuba, I had to go on my own adventure & leave much of what I knew, people I love, behind. Moving across the country was both the hardest & most rewarding thing for my partner & I. New Brunswick will always be our home; we are born & bred there. It is a beautiful place, with genuinely lovely people. Beth Powning does a great job at capturing this in the book.
Her writing is so poetic -- the language certainly puts you in the time period, without feeling forced. When the pirates attack in China? Wow. Violent, raw, emotional. I was absolutely shaking for the last 50 or so pages. What a tragic ordeal.
This is about trying to keep a family together amidst a time when men would be away from the home for months, even years. It is about the harsh realities on the sea; tragedy; loneliness; adventure.
Love, like hope, changed. It was buried in small moments and came most strongly when least expected.
(Popsugar Challenge: A book that takes place in your hometown)
May 29, 2011
“Apples, mermaids, pansies, seashells...” are woven into the rug that Azuba's Grammy makes for her to take on her first voyage aboard her husband's ship Traveller. She wants Azuba to remember her home overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Growing up in 1860s New Brunswick, Azuba, daughter of a shipwright, dreams of adventure and then one day it finds her – or does it? At a dance Azuba falls in love with tall, rugged, blue-eyed Nathaniel, captain of the sea-going vessel Traveller. When they marry Azuba believes she will go to sea with her husband but he has other ideas. He prefers that she stay safely at home to raise their children and await his return – every few years.
“The Sea Captain's Wife” by Beth Powling is one of the most purely gorgeous books I have ever read. The story, of Azabu, her longing for adventure, her struggle to understand her fierce sea captain husband, and to cope with his world once she is admitted to it, is a gripping story. What distinguishes it from any other tale of its kind is the seamless blending of the harsh realities of a life at sea with the timeless, homely rhythms of a woman's life. Through all the drama and challenge of rounding Cape Horn, being becalmed with supplies dwindling, and being attacked by pirates, Azuba's life – even lived in the saloon of her husband's ship – is still a woman's life. Quilting, sewing, making pies, teaching her children, tending the chickens, pregnancy, cooking preserves, struggling to understand this mysterious creature she is married to are daily parts of life for Azuba. Much as they were for many women of her time.
I have to say I loved this book and often found myself in tears at both the story and the beauty of the language. Although I would have liked a little more description of some of the more exotic ports they visited, this was more than compensated for by the passages about their life at sea. Some were harsh and painful, others were dreamy and evocative. The chapters while they were sailing from South Africa to Hong Kong were delicious.
But for me the most purely lovely part of the books were the last few chapters. The writing is just beautiful – tender, heart-breaking, exquisite. For all the drama of the years at sea returning home to gardens, sewing, gathering blackberries for jam, take care of babies, laying elders to rest. I couldn't stop crying and smiling at the same time. This is a beautiful, tender love story about an enigmatic man, challenging children, caring family, and the woman who loved them all. I highly recommend it.
“The Sea Captain's Wife” by Beth Powling is one of the most purely gorgeous books I have ever read. The story, of Azabu, her longing for adventure, her struggle to understand her fierce sea captain husband, and to cope with his world once she is admitted to it, is a gripping story. What distinguishes it from any other tale of its kind is the seamless blending of the harsh realities of a life at sea with the timeless, homely rhythms of a woman's life. Through all the drama and challenge of rounding Cape Horn, being becalmed with supplies dwindling, and being attacked by pirates, Azuba's life – even lived in the saloon of her husband's ship – is still a woman's life. Quilting, sewing, making pies, teaching her children, tending the chickens, pregnancy, cooking preserves, struggling to understand this mysterious creature she is married to are daily parts of life for Azuba. Much as they were for many women of her time.
I have to say I loved this book and often found myself in tears at both the story and the beauty of the language. Although I would have liked a little more description of some of the more exotic ports they visited, this was more than compensated for by the passages about their life at sea. Some were harsh and painful, others were dreamy and evocative. The chapters while they were sailing from South Africa to Hong Kong were delicious.
But for me the most purely lovely part of the books were the last few chapters. The writing is just beautiful – tender, heart-breaking, exquisite. For all the drama of the years at sea returning home to gardens, sewing, gathering blackberries for jam, take care of babies, laying elders to rest. I couldn't stop crying and smiling at the same time. This is a beautiful, tender love story about an enigmatic man, challenging children, caring family, and the woman who loved them all. I highly recommend it.
May 30, 2011
"Apples, mermaids, pansies, seashells..." ...are woven into the rug that Azuba's Grammy makes for her to take on her first voyage aboard her husband's ship Traveller. She wants Azuba to remember her home overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Growing up in 1860s New Brunswick, Azuba, daughter of a shipwright, dreams of adventure and then one day it finds her - or does it? At a dance Azuba falls in love with tall, rugged, blue-eyed Nathaniel, captain of the sea-going vessel Traveller. When they marry Azuba believes she will go to sea with her husband but he has other ideas. He prefers that she stay safely at home to raise their children and await his return - every few years.
"The Sea Captain's Wife" by Beth Powling is one of the most purely gorgeous books I have ever read. The story, of Azabu, her longing for adventure, her struggle to understand her fierce sea captain husband, and to cope with his world once she is admitted to it, is a gripping story. What distinguishes it from any other tale of its kind is the seamless blending of the harsh realities of a life at sea with the timeless, homely rhythms of a woman's life. Through all the drama and challenge of rounding Cape Horn, being becalmed with supplies dwindling, and being attacked by pirates, Azuba's life - even lived in the saloon of her husband's ship - is still a woman's life. Quilting, sewing, making pies, teaching her children, tending the chickens, pregnancy, cooking preserves, struggling to understand this mysterious creature she is married to are daily parts of life for Azuba. Much as they were for many women of her time.
I have to say I loved this book and often found myself in tears at both the story and the beauty of the language. Although I would have liked a little more description of some of the more exotic ports they visited, this was more than compensated for by the passages about their life at sea. Some were harsh and painful, others were dreamy and evocative. The chapters while they were sailing from South Africa to Hong Kong were delicious.
But for me the most purely lovely part of the books were the last few chapters. The writing is just beautiful - tender, heart-breaking, exquisite. For all the drama of the years at sea returning home to gardens, sewing, gathering blackberries for jam, take care of babies, laying elders to rest. I couldn't stop crying and smiling at the same time. This is a beautiful, tender love story about an enigmatic man, challenging children, caring family, and the woman who loved them all. I highly recommend it.
"The Sea Captain's Wife" by Beth Powling is one of the most purely gorgeous books I have ever read. The story, of Azabu, her longing for adventure, her struggle to understand her fierce sea captain husband, and to cope with his world once she is admitted to it, is a gripping story. What distinguishes it from any other tale of its kind is the seamless blending of the harsh realities of a life at sea with the timeless, homely rhythms of a woman's life. Through all the drama and challenge of rounding Cape Horn, being becalmed with supplies dwindling, and being attacked by pirates, Azuba's life - even lived in the saloon of her husband's ship - is still a woman's life. Quilting, sewing, making pies, teaching her children, tending the chickens, pregnancy, cooking preserves, struggling to understand this mysterious creature she is married to are daily parts of life for Azuba. Much as they were for many women of her time.
I have to say I loved this book and often found myself in tears at both the story and the beauty of the language. Although I would have liked a little more description of some of the more exotic ports they visited, this was more than compensated for by the passages about their life at sea. Some were harsh and painful, others were dreamy and evocative. The chapters while they were sailing from South Africa to Hong Kong were delicious.
But for me the most purely lovely part of the books were the last few chapters. The writing is just beautiful - tender, heart-breaking, exquisite. For all the drama of the years at sea returning home to gardens, sewing, gathering blackberries for jam, take care of babies, laying elders to rest. I couldn't stop crying and smiling at the same time. This is a beautiful, tender love story about an enigmatic man, challenging children, caring family, and the woman who loved them all. I highly recommend it.
June 25, 2011
Oh, how I loved this book. The words themselves were so lovely, but the detail was amazing. As I read about sea voyages and winters on the coast, I could feel the cold, the heat, the fear. I was completely captivated by life at sea, and by life in the 1860s. The characters were so full, I felt like I knew them. This is one I'll definitely re-read.
September 12, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the setting in Nova Scotia, as well as the seafaring adventures. I've found I quite enjoy books set at sea. I will read Beth Powning again. Intelligently written and well researched.
November 9, 2022
What I loved:
> the precise sea-faring language and vocabulary that drew me into the decks of The Traveller.
> the adventure.
> the insights I discovered about life at sea.
> the stereotypes I had harboured about sailors and life aboard ships in the 1800s.
> the references to geography and history and culture.
What I didn't love:
> the sometimes really flowery language that made me want to skim over the tedious bits.
> the Harlequin Romance feel of the first two and final sections.
> the slow development of characters and plot.
What it left me thinking about:
> how I don't analyze my life nearly as deeply as Azuba, the protagonist. Maybe I should?
It's a beach read, or an airport read. Nothing too intense, but enough to keep you turning the page and passing the time.
> the precise sea-faring language and vocabulary that drew me into the decks of The Traveller.
> the adventure.
> the insights I discovered about life at sea.
> the stereotypes I had harboured about sailors and life aboard ships in the 1800s.
> the references to geography and history and culture.
What I didn't love:
> the sometimes really flowery language that made me want to skim over the tedious bits.
> the Harlequin Romance feel of the first two and final sections.
> the slow development of characters and plot.
What it left me thinking about:
> how I don't analyze my life nearly as deeply as Azuba, the protagonist. Maybe I should?
It's a beach read, or an airport read. Nothing too intense, but enough to keep you turning the page and passing the time.
September 10, 2012
The Sea Captain's Wife is a story about Azuba, a sheltered sea captain's wife living in Whelan's Cove, Nova Scotia, who makes a mistake and goes on a voyage with her daughter and husband on his ship. Sounds like it will be full of fun adventure times, amirite? Except it's not and it's a little boring and some of the voyages get barely touched upon (i.e. Hong Kong -- it would have been nice to see them go from Antwerp to Hong Kong for more than just two chapters. After all, London to San Francisco and back was two sections of the book (or nine chapters)). There were some crazy happenings on the ship (Cape Horn storms, stuck in the doldrums, almost mutiny), but because of the characters, I just couldn't really care.
Speaking of characters, let's look at Azuba. She started off feeling cloistered in her life on land away from her husband and wanting to get out and be free. So she makes a mistake, which everyone knows is a mistake that a woman shouldn't make and gets what she wants: her husband comes back to take her away with him on the ship. And then she gets indignant because her husband, Nathaniel, the captain, is all, "You should listen to what I say because I'm the motherfucking captain and I know shit you don't about sailing." And she gets even more so when she learns some stuff. Then she becomes all wah-wah about different situations and learns that hanging out on a ship isn't as glamourous as she thought it would be. Boo-fucking-hoo. Azuba didn't grow emotionally.
Her husband Nathaniel was the same too. You were meant to think that he grew from a cold man to a tender, loving husband and father, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning that he wasn't cold, he was just distant. I guess that maybe happens when he isn't around his family very much because he's busy making a living so Azuba and their kid can live in comfort.
And Carrie, their daughter, was basically there just to move the plot. All she did was go, "Oh, a ship! Ooh, look at the sky, Mama! I love you, Papa!" Nothing of import. She doesn't become a full character until the Hong Kong section and when she does she becomes the most interesting of them all. But that's not saying much.
The rest of the characters could die in a million fires and I wouldn't give a shit.
The writing was mediocre. There were moments when I was resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I don't mean to say that everything about the writing was bad, there were definitely moments of nice description, but a lot of the time it was meh.
Looking back, this review makes it seem like I absolutely hated everything about the book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. I just don't care about it (even though this review makes it seem like I cared a great deal enough to get angry). I suppose I just wasn't in the right target group. Maybe this will appeal to lonely, middle-aged housewives more.
Speaking of characters, let's look at Azuba. She started off feeling cloistered in her life on land away from her husband and wanting to get out and be free. So she makes a mistake, which everyone knows is a mistake that a woman shouldn't make and gets what she wants: her husband comes back to take her away with him on the ship. And then she gets indignant because her husband, Nathaniel, the captain, is all, "You should listen to what I say because I'm the motherfucking captain and I know shit you don't about sailing." And she gets even more so when she learns some stuff. Then she becomes all wah-wah about different situations and learns that hanging out on a ship isn't as glamourous as she thought it would be. Boo-fucking-hoo. Azuba didn't grow emotionally.
Her husband Nathaniel was the same too. You were meant to think that he grew from a cold man to a tender, loving husband and father, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning that he wasn't cold, he was just distant. I guess that maybe happens when he isn't around his family very much because he's busy making a living so Azuba and their kid can live in comfort.
And Carrie, their daughter, was basically there just to move the plot. All she did was go, "Oh, a ship! Ooh, look at the sky, Mama! I love you, Papa!" Nothing of import. She doesn't become a full character until the Hong Kong section and when she does she becomes the most interesting of them all. But that's not saying much.
The rest of the characters could die in a million fires and I wouldn't give a shit.
The writing was mediocre. There were moments when I was resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I don't mean to say that everything about the writing was bad, there were definitely moments of nice description, but a lot of the time it was meh.
Looking back, this review makes it seem like I absolutely hated everything about the book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. I just don't care about it (even though this review makes it seem like I cared a great deal enough to get angry). I suppose I just wasn't in the right target group. Maybe this will appeal to lonely, middle-aged housewives more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2022
There were some facets of The Sea Captain's Wife that I did truly enjoy. Powning did an excellent job at setting the novel in 1800's Canada. She clearly has done extensive research as to what life at that time would be like. From fashion, professions, economic classes, and culture to showing what everyday life might be like, down to details like daguerreotypy, she really hit the nail on the head. Furthermore, as the protagonist Azuba sailed around the world, Powning excellently showed the differences in cultures and territories everywhere she took us.
The characters she created were all multidimensional and the relationships between them were very interesting. One of my favorite parts was watching Azuba's daughter Carrie grow over the years.
Where the book fell short was in the writing style. It was boring and unclear. First off Azuba sometimes had flashbacks, or recalled certain events that had happened to her in the past. When this happened it wasn't always clear that she was having this type of recollection, or that the recollection was over, so I found myself having to go back and re-read paragraphs to try and figure out what was actually occurring and what was just a recollection.
At one point Azuba found herself in a French speaking country and learned a bit of the language to communicate with locals. This is all well, and could have added to the book, however in order to fully follow the story one must have had to know french or be forced to type full sentences in a language they don't know into a translator.
The real biggest downfall was how slow the book read. Lots of detail is wonderful sometimes, but every detail was explained in such detail that it took away from the story. Even parts of the book which were supposed to be exciting or scary were dampened and boring. When the ship sailed through a massive life threatening storm I could hardly take the event seriously because of the shades of blue of the waves. I often found myself falling asleep to this book, and it took me an inordinately long amount of time to read. The only exception to this was near the end of the novel By this point however I was already mentally checked out of the book and there was no redeeming it from trashing it in a review.
I would really have loved if the book had read better because I really did enjoy everything about the story. Sailing around the world in the 1800's right at the time when America gained independence and all of the dangers associated with that had so much potential to be an excellent 5/5 novel, especially with the research and effort that clearly was put in to this work.
The characters she created were all multidimensional and the relationships between them were very interesting. One of my favorite parts was watching Azuba's daughter Carrie grow over the years.
Where the book fell short was in the writing style. It was boring and unclear. First off Azuba sometimes had flashbacks, or recalled certain events that had happened to her in the past. When this happened it wasn't always clear that she was having this type of recollection, or that the recollection was over, so I found myself having to go back and re-read paragraphs to try and figure out what was actually occurring and what was just a recollection.
At one point Azuba found herself in a French speaking country and learned a bit of the language to communicate with locals. This is all well, and could have added to the book, however in order to fully follow the story one must have had to know french or be forced to type full sentences in a language they don't know into a translator.
The real biggest downfall was how slow the book read. Lots of detail is wonderful sometimes, but every detail was explained in such detail that it took away from the story. Even parts of the book which were supposed to be exciting or scary were dampened and boring. When the ship sailed through a massive life threatening storm I could hardly take the event seriously because of the shades of blue of the waves. I often found myself falling asleep to this book, and it took me an inordinately long amount of time to read. The only exception to this was near the end of the novel By this point however I was already mentally checked out of the book and there was no redeeming it from trashing it in a review.
I would really have loved if the book had read better because I really did enjoy everything about the story. Sailing around the world in the 1800's right at the time when America gained independence and all of the dangers associated with that had so much potential to be an excellent 5/5 novel, especially with the research and effort that clearly was put in to this work.
June 19, 2012
There are a few mild spoilers in the following review, but nothing that will ruin the story.
The Sea Captain's Wife follows Azuba, a young woman who grew up on the Bay of Fundy in the mid 1800s. We first meet her as an adventurous girl who wants to marry a sea captain and travel the world with her husband at her side. She rails against the traditional expectations of the sea captain's wife: to be a good submissive mother, grow flowers, and spend her husband's money on carriages and dresses.
The main story opens in the 1860s with Azuba married to Nathaniel, who is—duh—a sea captain, and he spends many months, sometimes years, at sea. He wasn't home when his daughter was born, and didn't meet her until she was almost three years old. He seemed open to the idea of taking Azuba with him until she had their daughter, and he saw the house that Azuba's father had built for them. The house was someplace safe to leave his family.
Azuba miscarries their second child. She befriends the local minister, and they visit each other often and take walks together. After a picnic one day, they both fall asleep and become trapped by the tide overnight. Even though nothing inappropriate happened, the local busybodies label her a whore. The minister is sent away, and when Nathaniel comes back, he takes Azuba and their daughter with him on his next voyage, which takes them to England, to San Francisco, to Callao, Peru, and back to Antwerp, Belgium.
Something I wasn't aware of before reading the book and doing some research, was that this story was set before the construction of the Panama Canal, which meant that in order to get to San Francisco to Europe, ships had to go all the way around South America, ’round the horn, which was a treacherous journey. It really made me thankful for all the conveniences we have today. Could you imagine a trip around the world and back taking years?
Back in Europe, Azuba and Nathaniel had a tough decision to make. Should Azuba continue to take her children on the high seas and experience the world, but they would have to deal with the threat of pirates, terrible storms, and possible starvation or drowning, or should she take her children home and let them grow up in a life of relative safety, but only knowing their father as that guy who shows up a couple times a year?
I found the book so-so. It was well written, and parts of the story were very engaging, especially the return from Callao, but the ending just sort of faded away. Come to think of it, I don't even remember exactly how it ended. It was entertaining enough to read at the time, but it's definitely not a favourite.
The Sea Captain's Wife follows Azuba, a young woman who grew up on the Bay of Fundy in the mid 1800s. We first meet her as an adventurous girl who wants to marry a sea captain and travel the world with her husband at her side. She rails against the traditional expectations of the sea captain's wife: to be a good submissive mother, grow flowers, and spend her husband's money on carriages and dresses.
The main story opens in the 1860s with Azuba married to Nathaniel, who is—duh—a sea captain, and he spends many months, sometimes years, at sea. He wasn't home when his daughter was born, and didn't meet her until she was almost three years old. He seemed open to the idea of taking Azuba with him until she had their daughter, and he saw the house that Azuba's father had built for them. The house was someplace safe to leave his family.
Azuba miscarries their second child. She befriends the local minister, and they visit each other often and take walks together. After a picnic one day, they both fall asleep and become trapped by the tide overnight. Even though nothing inappropriate happened, the local busybodies label her a whore. The minister is sent away, and when Nathaniel comes back, he takes Azuba and their daughter with him on his next voyage, which takes them to England, to San Francisco, to Callao, Peru, and back to Antwerp, Belgium.
Something I wasn't aware of before reading the book and doing some research, was that this story was set before the construction of the Panama Canal, which meant that in order to get to San Francisco to Europe, ships had to go all the way around South America, ’round the horn, which was a treacherous journey. It really made me thankful for all the conveniences we have today. Could you imagine a trip around the world and back taking years?
Back in Europe, Azuba and Nathaniel had a tough decision to make. Should Azuba continue to take her children on the high seas and experience the world, but they would have to deal with the threat of pirates, terrible storms, and possible starvation or drowning, or should she take her children home and let them grow up in a life of relative safety, but only knowing their father as that guy who shows up a couple times a year?
I found the book so-so. It was well written, and parts of the story were very engaging, especially the return from Callao, but the ending just sort of faded away. Come to think of it, I don't even remember exactly how it ended. It was entertaining enough to read at the time, but it's definitely not a favourite.
September 6, 2012
Azuba Galloway is left at home as her husband, sea captain, Nathaniel travels the seas in the 1860's. Suffering a miscarriage, Azuba becomes incredibly lonely and seeks friendship in the form of Reverend Simon Walton. One day Azuba leaves her daughter Carrie at home with the housekeeper to go on a picnic with Reverend Walton. They end up having to spend the night together when they're trapped by the tide. Their village runs rampant with gossip about their relationship and when Nathaniel comes home, he hears the gossip. Whereas in the past Nathaniel had resisted Azuba's requests to go to sea with him, now, Nathaniel acquiesces. Azuba and Nathaniel take their daughter, Carrie, aboard 'Traveller,' to travel many months to go around Cape Horn, and then back up to the Chincha Islands just off the coast of Peru, where they obtain a load of tons of guano to use as fertilizer. There they learn of a mass suicide of slaves on the Chincha Islands. A little research shows that Powning has stuck to the historical facts. A rush for guano from the islands began in the 1840's and as demand exploded, a prisoner workforce was brought in. Due to the hardships of their lives, some did commit suicide. Powning does a beautiful job of describing life aboard ship, of detailing Azuba's feelings about her life on land in Whalen's Cove and life on the sea as well as her thoughts and feelings about Reverend Walton and her husband. The reader sees Azuba's growth as a character in her role as a wife and mother, but especially in her role as the sea captain's wife. Though the reader is not privy to Nathaniel's thoughts and feelings, Powning portrays them in vivid word pictures of the man as captain of his ship, through his actions and words with his family as well as with the men on board 'Traveller.' This is a lovely book, well paced, and has much action and adventure. There are moments in the book when I felt bogged down, as though the book wasn't going anywhere. And at times, the action sequences feel a little jolting, not quite seamless. Powning's credibility lies with her generally descriptive and narrative style, not in action sequences. Other reviews I've read, critiqued the ending. The ending, I thought, very satisfying and although a little surprising, fits the story.
Read
October 7, 2019A friend recommended this book, after hearing that I’m working on a memoir about my own times at sea with my husband & two children. Beth Powning’s novel tells of a woman’s life at sea in a very different time – the 1860s – when, as my husband has often remarked, ‘Ships were made of wood and men were made of steel.’
Azuba lives in a small port on the east coast of Canada, and longs to be the kind of sea-captain’s wife who travels with her husband, rather than a woman who sits at home in a dull, safe world, awaiting her man’s return. A long wait, since these voyages were often two years or more in length. Although Azuba marries her sea-captain, Nathaniel has no intention of exposing his wife – and their young daughter – to the dangers and privations of such a voyage. He leaves her at home until a minor scandal – caused by his wife’s friendship with the local minister – changes his mind.
What follows is a realistic and well-researched account of Azuba’s experiences at sea with four-year-old Carrie. The horrors of Cape Horn and a period of starvation in the Doldrums are vividly described, as is the equally heart-wrenching situation between Azuba and Nathaniel. As she discovers, he is a different man at sea – detached from her, his focus totally on the ship and his responsibility for every life aboard. Their relationship is complicated by his belief that she betrayed him with the minister. How this plays out is utterly convincing.
The periods at sea are relieved by lengthy stays in port. In contrast to the privations aboard, the couple with their daughter live in luxury hotels while cargo is being unloaded and fresh cargoes arranged. All very different from modern times, and yet I could relate to Azuba as a woman, and understand the complications of her relationship with Nathaniel. How this plays out – both emotionally and professionally – is so true to life, that I found myself nodding and sighing in sympathy.
Some reviewers have expressed surprise that women travelled with their husbands in 19th century sailing ships, although it was quite common, certainly in the UK. This beautifully written novel is stirring, authentic, and a great testimony to their courage and fortitude.
Azuba lives in a small port on the east coast of Canada, and longs to be the kind of sea-captain’s wife who travels with her husband, rather than a woman who sits at home in a dull, safe world, awaiting her man’s return. A long wait, since these voyages were often two years or more in length. Although Azuba marries her sea-captain, Nathaniel has no intention of exposing his wife – and their young daughter – to the dangers and privations of such a voyage. He leaves her at home until a minor scandal – caused by his wife’s friendship with the local minister – changes his mind.
What follows is a realistic and well-researched account of Azuba’s experiences at sea with four-year-old Carrie. The horrors of Cape Horn and a period of starvation in the Doldrums are vividly described, as is the equally heart-wrenching situation between Azuba and Nathaniel. As she discovers, he is a different man at sea – detached from her, his focus totally on the ship and his responsibility for every life aboard. Their relationship is complicated by his belief that she betrayed him with the minister. How this plays out is utterly convincing.
The periods at sea are relieved by lengthy stays in port. In contrast to the privations aboard, the couple with their daughter live in luxury hotels while cargo is being unloaded and fresh cargoes arranged. All very different from modern times, and yet I could relate to Azuba as a woman, and understand the complications of her relationship with Nathaniel. How this plays out – both emotionally and professionally – is so true to life, that I found myself nodding and sighing in sympathy.
Some reviewers have expressed surprise that women travelled with their husbands in 19th century sailing ships, although it was quite common, certainly in the UK. This beautifully written novel is stirring, authentic, and a great testimony to their courage and fortitude.
February 2, 2014
This is an historical novel set in the small fishing and ship building village of Whelan’s Cove on New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy during the 1860s. Azuba Galloway is the daughter of a sea captain and dreams to follow in the footsteps of her father. She yearns to go off to sea, to have adventures and see the world. When she meets, falls in love with and marries Nathaniel Bradstock captain of the Traveler, she imagines an exciting life with him and expects to sail at her husband’s side. But Azuba becomes pregnant soon after her marriage and Nathaniel, who knows the dangers of sea voyage, refuses to take her with him. She reluctantly accepts his decision and stays at home with their daughter Carrie awaiting his return.
During his absence, Azuba befriends the local minister and the village gossip begins. When Nathaniel does return home, he is greeted by a growing scandal and feels compelled to take Azuba and Carrie aboard his ship on his next world voyage. While at sea, Azuba is almost as alone as she was back in Whelan’s Cove, because Nathanial does not include her in his life as a captain.
The book traces their life aboard ship during their long voyage at sea including not only the good times but also the storms, the stifling heat, the boring routine, the lack of food and the terrible dangers the entire crew are forced to endure.
This is essentially the story of a couple and their relationship. It moves from the first blush of early marriage to the conflict in adjusting to each other amidst life’s challenges, and ends with the mutual respect each has developed for the other.
This book is full of accurate historical detail, especially of the rough life at sea during this time period. It also shows the struggle of a strong independent woman who tried to live life on her own terms despite being held back by the restrictions of society and a male dominated world.
I have read three other books by this author and I really enjoy her writing.
Definitely a recommended read.
During his absence, Azuba befriends the local minister and the village gossip begins. When Nathaniel does return home, he is greeted by a growing scandal and feels compelled to take Azuba and Carrie aboard his ship on his next world voyage. While at sea, Azuba is almost as alone as she was back in Whelan’s Cove, because Nathanial does not include her in his life as a captain.
The book traces their life aboard ship during their long voyage at sea including not only the good times but also the storms, the stifling heat, the boring routine, the lack of food and the terrible dangers the entire crew are forced to endure.
This is essentially the story of a couple and their relationship. It moves from the first blush of early marriage to the conflict in adjusting to each other amidst life’s challenges, and ends with the mutual respect each has developed for the other.
This book is full of accurate historical detail, especially of the rough life at sea during this time period. It also shows the struggle of a strong independent woman who tried to live life on her own terms despite being held back by the restrictions of society and a male dominated world.
I have read three other books by this author and I really enjoy her writing.
Definitely a recommended read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2011
Beth Powning wrote the excellent "Hatbox Letters" several years ago, a novel set in contemporary Atlantic Canada. This book, by contrast, is a historical novel from the 1860's, but I found it just as multi-layered and emotionally complex -- with much to say that is relevant to us in the twenty-first century. Powning writes with well-researched authority about the historical period in which this book is set -- discussing the intracacies of sailing vessels, of voyages around Cape Horn, or of the confining clothes that women then wore. But what brings this novel alive is its enduring themes.
Fundamentally, this is a study, from a young and vibrant wife's point of view, of the evolution of a marriage, away from superficial beginnings through difficult challenges together to a depth of love and understanding that neither partner originally expected. Azuba, the wife, and Nathaniel, the sea captain, are severely tested by the life they experience -- their initial periods of long separation as Nathaniel departs alone on two and three year voyages, then their tensions as Azuba and their young child sail with the husband under his command, and the dangers of starvation, storms and piracy attacks that assail their vessel. But somehow their relationship evolves, matures and deepens profoundly.
How this happens, and how it interconnects with changes in a world moving from the sailing era to the age of steam, is a hugely difficult process to analyse, in a way that is human and realistic. But Powning writes beautifully and well in completing that task with insight and compassion. Perhaps there is a bit too much melodrama now and then. But overall, this is a fine novel, and it was a great pleasure to read it.
Fundamentally, this is a study, from a young and vibrant wife's point of view, of the evolution of a marriage, away from superficial beginnings through difficult challenges together to a depth of love and understanding that neither partner originally expected. Azuba, the wife, and Nathaniel, the sea captain, are severely tested by the life they experience -- their initial periods of long separation as Nathaniel departs alone on two and three year voyages, then their tensions as Azuba and their young child sail with the husband under his command, and the dangers of starvation, storms and piracy attacks that assail their vessel. But somehow their relationship evolves, matures and deepens profoundly.
How this happens, and how it interconnects with changes in a world moving from the sailing era to the age of steam, is a hugely difficult process to analyse, in a way that is human and realistic. But Powning writes beautifully and well in completing that task with insight and compassion. Perhaps there is a bit too much melodrama now and then. But overall, this is a fine novel, and it was a great pleasure to read it.
October 26, 2018
I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed this book. At first it seemed awfully slow and lacking in much of a plot, but as I got into it, I became more and more hooked. I was fascinated by the evolution of her marriage--how it changed and grew from one stage to another. I was also blown away by how her desires changed: how she once longed to sail on voyages with her husband, having an ideal idea of what that would be like in her head, but seeing--after being very sea-sick, experiencing horrific weather conditions, and near starvation--that it was not at all what she thought it would be in reality! I was also very interested to see that her relationship with her husband evolved from sheer joy and delight, to great loneliness and bitterness, to fear and horror at times, to respect and admiration, and then back again to joy and delight, and then to a routine life of almost 'settling'-on land. I also really liked hearing of the experiences of good old fashioned import sailors during the late 1800's. It was a life of unbelievable hardship and danger--for both men and especially women and children. The book, did have a very sad ending--and yet, also a realistic one. Not all stories --in fiction or real life--end up with a nicely tied bow! Though I get very sea-sick myself, and could never fathom a life lived on the sea, I truly enjoyed every part of this book. I think it would appeal to most women, and even many men. Loved it!
September 18, 2014
I enjoyed this book more than I was expecting. At first, it really felt like an ordinary historical romance between a young woman and a strong burly sea captain. It is actually much more than that. The book clearly paints life in the 1860s and describes the fascinating and perilous life in the Age of Sail. The book is well-researched and most of the time information is well-woven into the descriptions and plot; occasionally though the author simply lists items such as food eaten or clothes worn or modes of transportation which can feel a little like reading a textbook. I found Traveller's journey to be exciting and a page turner, both the ports of call and the perils they encounter on their journey, while still being true to the sometimes-boring everyday life on the ship. I think the best part of the book is the characterization of Azuba and the parallel journey she and Nathaniel take in their marriage, from young and romantic to encountering conflict to enduring hardships and coming together and adjusting their expectations of each other. This evolution is just as relevant to the 1860s as it is today. My only beefs with the book is that sometimes the pacing was slow and it dragged a little and occasionally I found Azuba's introspection to be a little repetitive. Overall recommend.
April 18, 2011
Azuba feels a kind of destiny where the sea is concerned, to the point where, alone in her big house overlooking the ocean while her sea captain husband is away, she is deeply lonely and unhappy. A relatively innocent friendship with the local minister, discovered by her husband when he arrives home, drives a wedge into her happy marriage, and Nathaniel decides to take Azuba and their little girl with him to sea, despite his deep fears for their safety. This novel is infused with strong emotions: passion, terror, love, and joy, and it is masterfully written.
Absolutely impossible to put this down, I read it in one sitting! The author indicates she pored over women's diaries and accounts of life aboard ship during the era, which makes much of this compelling novel all the more chilling. A marvelously done book, with astonishingly alive characters who incite a range of feelings in the reader, not the least of which (for me) will be anger at such parents who put their children in harm's way in order to be together. But the agony and guilt that rack the parents in turn, are just as powerfully felt. I found Azuba to be young and selfish, but her character arcs believably and by the end, she has arrived at a sort of peace with life. Quite a book.
Absolutely impossible to put this down, I read it in one sitting! The author indicates she pored over women's diaries and accounts of life aboard ship during the era, which makes much of this compelling novel all the more chilling. A marvelously done book, with astonishingly alive characters who incite a range of feelings in the reader, not the least of which (for me) will be anger at such parents who put their children in harm's way in order to be together. But the agony and guilt that rack the parents in turn, are just as powerfully felt. I found Azuba to be young and selfish, but her character arcs believably and by the end, she has arrived at a sort of peace with life. Quite a book.
October 5, 2012
A really good read by Canadian author Beth Powning. This is the reasonably harrowing tale of a girl who grows up in New Brunswick in the 1860s, the daughter of a ship-builder and the wife of a ship's captain. She has always yearned to go to sea herself but her husband refuses to take her even though it was a reasonably common practice at the time for captain's wives, and even children, to accompany them. This captain's wife, however, finally gets the opportunity when one tiny indiscretion disgraces her in the eyes of the community and so her husband takes her and their four year-old daughter with him. What a horrendous life those sailor led! They were away from home for years at a time and while the rewards for a successful captain were considerable, the risks were monumental! Thought provoking story with regard to the chances many of us will take with our children and spouses in order to fulfill our own desires. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2009
I really enjoyed this novel. Azuba yearns to be at sea with her husband, a captain, in the 19th century, and she gets her wish. The complications and hardships of the sea life await her, but also the difficulty in navigating her relationship with her husband.
Powning's writing style is strong; descriptions are detailed and poetic. Occassionally the prose jumps ahead and I thought I'd missed something, but it's really just to move the plot along and I appreciated the absence of trivial details and repetition. My only negative observation is that as a reader I felt more like a fly on the wall than a participant in the story, which was most strongly felt when episodes of heartache happened and I felt no personal emotional tugs. Even so, I was pulled into the story and could barely put it down.
Powning's writing style is strong; descriptions are detailed and poetic. Occassionally the prose jumps ahead and I thought I'd missed something, but it's really just to move the plot along and I appreciated the absence of trivial details and repetition. My only negative observation is that as a reader I felt more like a fly on the wall than a participant in the story, which was most strongly felt when episodes of heartache happened and I felt no personal emotional tugs. Even so, I was pulled into the story and could barely put it down.
March 28, 2015
I went back and forth on 3 or 4 stars for this book.
The good:
The writing is beautiful.
The imagery is beautiful.
The author was able to make ME feel seasick along with the character.
Azuba is a good powerful female character, and her daughter, Carrie, is very very well written.
The handling of Azuba's love for Nathaniel while romanticizing another man in her mind is EXACTLY IT. Perfect. Nailed it.
The eh:
Nathaniel as a "complicated wounded man" makes him pretty one-note.
Azuba "realizes" things all the time. Sometimes in the next chapter she "realizes" the opposite of what she "realized" before. It's a bit tiring.
The author spends an aching amount of time on the bad things that happen, and whips through the good stuff as if it couldn't possibly be as interesting.
I was able to predict the deaths and which big ship-related awful thing would happen next.
The good:
The writing is beautiful.
The imagery is beautiful.
The author was able to make ME feel seasick along with the character.
Azuba is a good powerful female character, and her daughter, Carrie, is very very well written.
The handling of Azuba's love for Nathaniel while romanticizing another man in her mind is EXACTLY IT. Perfect. Nailed it.
The eh:
Nathaniel as a "complicated wounded man" makes him pretty one-note.
Azuba "realizes" things all the time. Sometimes in the next chapter she "realizes" the opposite of what she "realized" before. It's a bit tiring.
The author spends an aching amount of time on the bad things that happen, and whips through the good stuff as if it couldn't possibly be as interesting.
I was able to predict the deaths and which big ship-related awful thing would happen next.
October 14, 2011
Azuba, a strong and spirited woman, falls in love with a rugged sea captain (Nathaniel). After they marry, she believes that she will accompany him on his travels, but he changes his mind and leaves her behind to the safety - and loneliness - of land. Personal scandal changes everything and an angry Nathaniel is forced to bring his family onto his ship. Azuba, who once idealized life at sea, learns quickly how difficult and lonely it can be, while she struggles to understand and love her husband, who is seemingly a different person on his ship.
This book was a wonderful adventure story and a realistic look at the struggles within a relationship. Beautifully written and so hard to put down that I read it again as soon as I'd turned the last page!
This book was a wonderful adventure story and a realistic look at the struggles within a relationship. Beautifully written and so hard to put down that I read it again as soon as I'd turned the last page!
July 19, 2010
Some could consider the novel a bit predictable or formulaic in some ways, or a bit heavy on the number of mishaps, misfortunes and coincidences that occur. But, it was still a page-turner for me. Thematically, the novel is partially about the complexities of relationships – between husband and wife, extended family members, friends, and society – and about the conflict between work and family. The main character, Azuba, yearns for adventure, and we get to explore her emotions and decisions as she struggles to discover whether she can balance her passion with necessary pragmatism as she tries to live out her dream.
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