Uncertain Voyage

by Dorothy Gilman

With a broken marriage and a nervous breakdown barely behind her, Melissa sails for Europe, reluctantly and absolutely on her own. When a strange traveler urgently asks her to deliver a book to a secret address, Melissa apprehensively agrees - much against her better judgement. Actually, she's half hoping she'll forget the entire unsettling incident and will find the book still packed away when she finally returns home.

But Melissa is unable to completely dismiss the episode. She realizes she's been followed to Copenhagen, Paris, and even into Marjorca, where she's to deliver the package - should she be so uncharacteristically bold.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Adventure, Suspense, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 22, 1967

About the author

Dorothy Edith Gilman started writing when she was 9 and knew early on she was to be a writer. At 11, she competed against 10 to 16-year-olds in a story contest and won first place. She attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and briefly the University of Pennsylvania. She planned to write and illustrate children's books. She married Edgar A. Butters Jr, in 1945, this ended in divorce in 1965. Dorothy worked as an art teacher & telephone operator before becoming an author. She wrote children’s stories for more than ten years under the name Dorothy Gilman Butters and then began writing adult novels about Mrs. Pollifax–a retired grandmother who becomes a CIA agent. The Mrs. Pollifax series made Dorothy famous. While her stories nourish people’s thirst for adventure and mystery, Dorothy knew about nourishing the body as well. On her farm in Nova Scotia, she grew medicinal herbs and used this knowledge of herbs in many of her stories, including A Nun in the Closet. She travelled extensively, and used these experiences in her novels as well. Many of Dorothy’s books, feature strong women having adventures around the world. In 2010 Gilman was awarded the annual Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Dorothy spent much of her life in Connecticut, New Mexico, and Maine. She died at age 88 of complications of Alzheimer's disease. She is survived by two sons, Christopher Butters and Jonathan Butters; and two grandchildren.

Series:
* Mrs. Pollifax

Reviews

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became a Dorothy Gilman fan through her standalone stories. From her ‘young adult’ fantasy to “An Uncertain Voyage” being reviewed today; I am sampling all but the “Mrs. Pollifax” volumes from which she derived fame! If her series is superior to this less-known work I treasure so much, I am in for a treat indeed. This story about a divorcée prescribing herself a European trip, garnered fewer than five stars because it is heavily introspective but superbly written nonetheless.

‘Melissa’ married at sixteen and overlooked self-discovery but dug herself out of a complacent life. We meet her after she finished with a psychiatrist and is trying out her sea legs... and voice. Her apprehension about proving that she can be assertive, independent, and find real joy is interspersed with a political chase. This saves the novel from the mundane philosophical approach of Anne Enright’s “The Gathering” and the too-long soliloquies of Beth Powning’s “The Hatbox Letters”. There is mystery and danger to ponder all along but it mounts slowly and culminates in extreme circumstances. The author did not make it easy on the heroine and I admire such hard-hitting in 1967.

I wanted to see inside the export company rendezvous Melissa battled to reach but the outcomes of both threads are clear; even if not played-out in full view of readers. Regular contemplation is the only weight dragging this adventure, otherwise buoyantly traversing three countries. If an underage marriage causes undeveloped perception of life, then Melissa mulling commonplace victories is plausible; like feeling triumphant that she possesses and exercises opinions. Scenes keep in motion, you want the heroine to succeed, and she acts intelligently when she is convinced the ordeal is real. Most remarkable is that Dorothy consistently dreamed-up plots and characters that resemble no work she created before.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to Dorothy Gilman. I had a four book sampler box set and this is the one I chose to dig into to.

There is no mystery here - at the beginning, on a trip, she is handed a book to deliver for a secret agent when she gets to an eventual destination. Not taking it that seriously, she later learns the man has been killed and has to decide whether to deliver the book.

Well, most of the time she isn't thinking of that - she has a sweet love affair in a town that occupies most of her thoughts. Most of the book is her digging into herself, finding her way through life during a self-discovery trip alone. The book and crime sit in the background. Unfortunately the female lead comes across very weak, dependent, and miserable.

She's such a .... grim character. She doesn't know what happiness is and doesn't know what she wants. She is pessimistic, always searching, doubtful even when good things are present, and sometimes seems even borderline suicidal. She mentions at the beginning that she just left psychiatric treatment and left a miserable marriage behind. Even at one point toward the end she seems calm about the thought of death.

The character evolves at the end, which brings the book up a bit, but the journey to get there was bleak, dragging, and not very pleasant. As I said, there is no mystery, it's a crime piece. The ending is a little too convenient too, no clever twists.

I will read another of Gilman, her writing style is good, and hope it is better than this one.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote my first ever (and possibly only) fan letter to Dorothy Gilman after I read this book -- and she wrote back! Besides the fact that I shared a first name with the main character of Uncertain Voyage (Melissa), I felt a certain kinship with her. Not that I was ever in her situation, but there was a point where she decided to live, and that was a place I'd been.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, then. Early in the year I can dispense with my one (hopefully) one-star review. I did begin this book in 2021 and could not bear to continue reading it. But...new year, new try. It is not a good example of this author's ability to deliver strong female characters. This one should not have been published.

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uncertain Voyage is a mystery/spy story, but a much less action-based one than you might expect. The heart of the plot is in Melissa's personal struggles to overcome her doubts and fears and learn to live on her own terms. This is the greatest strength of this novel, as Melissa is multifaceted, relatable, and subtly written. Dorothy Gilman's writing overall is good, especially in the cavern scene. But for me Uncertain Voyage doesn't reach the high standards set by Gilman's best stories. The mystery aspects seem to get a bit lost, and the ending is much too abrupt. Because of this, there are several loose ends hanging at the end of the story, and this really affected my enjoyment of it as a whole.

Uncertain Voyage is an unusual character-driven mystery, but not one of Dorothy Gilman's strongest works.

[Maren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had this on my "read" shelf and I had given it 4 stars. I recently bought it at a used book sale and started reading it "again". Apparently I had this book confused with something else. It was so boring and lame, I couldn't get past the 5th chapter. Usually Doroty Gilman writes her books with a strong female lead and a quirky collection of supporting characters. This book had an emotionally fragile heroine and lots of "deep" conversations. So boring. I hope I didn't mislead anyone with my previous 4 star rating. This is definately a 1 star for me.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melissa, a young divorcee (or not quite divorced) travels to Europe, gets caught up in a spy operation, and ventures within herself to find the purpose of her life. There is constant smoking, constant reminder of the childish way women were expected to behave, and a bit of pop psychology which all are mildly shocking to a modern reader. Readable but without the action interest that makes the Mrs. Polifax novels still readable while equally dated and introspective. Again a female main character and nearly zero supporting women.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm certain this isn't a book for everyone but I believe I read it at an important moment for me. It spoke to me for many different reasons. This was a wonderful read!

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the next step in Melissa's recovery from her breakdown, she sets off on her own for a trip to Europe. Much of the story is inside her head as she talks her way through the challenges that she may or may not be ready to face. That repetition can get tiresome for the reader.

This was written in 1967, which should be taken into consideration as Melissa overcomes her fears and makes some impulsive choices, some good and some deadly. Although she has an itinerary from her travel agency, the fact remains that it would have been unusual for a young single woman to travel on her own as she does here.

Part of her recovery involves motivating herself to be out among strangers rather than cowering on her own in her hotel room. Her troubles arise from going too far- beyond what would be common sense even today. She is open, trusting, and gullible, which is how her trip turns perilous. She readily goes out with men she doesn't know, agrees to carry something for a man that she doesn't know is a spy, and has no way of sorting the good guys from the bad.

I've read most of the author's books, including all of the Mrs Pollifax series, and recommend them highly. My favorite is a stand-alone called Caravan.

[Agnes Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started off reading a Dorothy Gilman book because I remembered the Miss Polliflax series and wanted a light mystery. But in "Uncertain Voyage" I found a novel that reflected back a lot of the things I read in my "spiritual" authors like Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson. It's about a woman who reaches a kind of "awakening", although such a term is never used. It's about a woman who has been treated by a psychiatrist and had lost herself and her will to live. In its way, it is every thoughtful person's story, every sensitive person's story...every person's story who strives to be fully alive.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like Dorthy Gilman a lot, but this is my least favorite of her books so far. Although the story is good I disliked the main character, a woman so plagued with doubt about her self worth that she actually questions her own existence. Although I had sympathy for this character at the beginning, the repeated descriptions of her thoughts and obsessions became too much. I did want to reach the conclusion of the story but if the suspense of the tale had not entrapped me, I might have abandoned the book in frustration over the frequent rehashing of the main character’s self doubt.

[Andrea]

Reading this since I couldn't go further with the Mrs Pollifax series. Similar concept (ordinary person drawn into espionage) but this is more focused on an internal journey taken by a person suffering from what sounds like acute anxiety, rather than fun spy stuff. Still kept my interest, but would far rather the Pollifax books.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the reviews here have more to do with Gilman's Mrs. Polifax series than the book itself. On its own merit, Uncertain Voyage is a fine tale of someone recovering from a mental breakdown who finds the courage to go on after more setbacks. Intrigue ensues, but the main focus is on Melissa Aubrey. Some may find it to be slow but I didn't.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book extreamly hard to read because it moved so slowly! The main character drove me nuts, she was so bla bla bla. I usually love Dorothy Gillman but this was not one of her better efforts. It was a major effort just to finish this one.

[Mary Searle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the Dorothy Gilman books I have read I liked this the least. It was mysterious but not gripping.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't know what it wants to be | Basically, I think Gilman wanted to explore the emotional fallout of the end of a marriage and the way her protagonist discovered and came to terms with the personal issues that led her to the marriage and to deep unhappiness. But she also wanted a sellable popular fiction book, so she just slightly veiled her book about a woman's emotional problems in a book that's ostensibly a spy suspense. There is no suspense. This is a very internal novel, mostly Melissa hating herself and coming to therapeutic realizations about herself, not yet being able to hold on to them, and hating herself some more. There's nothing wrong with that, and honestly it could be a really effective self-help starter for a lot of people. It's just not great for people who want to read a suspense novel. I've read nearly everything she wrote, and I suspect much of Melissa came from Gilman's own experiences. It's very real, including the accurate frustration of backsliding and not being able to just be better all on one's own, and stay better, without using others as convenient crutches to skip some of the work. Goldman's nonfiction memoir is a good follow up for those who appreciate this book.

[Marne Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was Gilman’s second published novel, I’d venture a guess that it’s the first one she wrote. The germ of Mrs. Pollifax is in there but hasn’t sprouted yet. If you like the Bette Davis film Now Voyager, you’ll love this book. Both jump off from the same place— a woman just out of a mental hospital goes on a solo trip to Europe and meets a married man. The difference is that this story, somewhat unsuccessfully, tries to cram in spy stuff as well. It isn’t quite right as a novel, but I wondered about Gilman’s real life while reading, something I never did with Mrs. Pollifax.

[Maryanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a slow long drawn out read. Seemed that Dorothy Gilman wrote this introspective book from a very personal place and with an appropriate title. A young woman travels to Europe encountering new adventures when an undercover agent gives her a book to deliver in Majorca. Most of the novel takes place in the mind of Melissa, dealing with her anxieties, fears and therapy issues of healing. Along the way, she experiences a range of emotions, discovers her strengths and becomes the heroine of her own reality mystery.

[Stephanie Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the snapshot in time feel of Dorothy Gilman's books. They are not "timeless," rather they are a beautiful picture of life right then. Which at the same time, is difficult to listen to such a wishy-washy lady. Always blushing, always feeling embarrassed and sadly, not an interesting story. I gave up.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a total slog to get through, and unsatisfying. Too much psychological drivel about whether or not the main character was "real'. And too much smoking!

[Sheila Knotts · Rating 2 out of 5]

So dreary and dark. Very unlike Gilman’s other delightful books.

[llz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will need a reread for me to fully process.

I can't tell how much of it I actually got into me. I experienced the story once; it was a lovely, one time experience for me, especially because I went into it knowing and expecting nothing.

But I can't stay why, I can only say it made me feel things I haven't felt in a really long time.

It's a story in was allowed to be let in on, and I am eternally grateful that it is out there.

[Bethany T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but definitely not my favorite Dorothy Gilman book. It's just ... boring. Nothing really happens. Melissa, a recently divorced woman, has been recovering from a mental breakdown and depression and been told to go abroad and embrace life as an independent woman. Instead she cannot stop lining up potential future lovers and finally stumbles into the arms of a married man who casually has flings whenever he's bored. I didn't care for Melissa or her journey. I wanted her to actually be independent and kickass and awesome. But her journey got so bogged down with her romance drama that I couldn't root for her. Her romantic interest, whose name I've already forgotten, was a jerk. One of those I Don't Believe in Monogamy guys who take it for granted that they can send a smile a woman's way and have that woman begging to crawl into bed with them. Ew.

So, yeah, that stuff really took up most of this book's real estate, even though it was technically about spies and espionage. Melissa is given a book by a man who claims to be a spy and doesn't expect to leave the ship they're on alive. Spoiler alert, he does indeed die. Melissa keeps the book and intends to try to get the object to its intended drop-off point. But that all kind of takes a backseat to the soap opera nonsense of Melissa's love life.

Verdict
Very few thrills. Romance takes the forefront, but it's very blah. It took me a very long time to read even though it's fairly short book.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I generally like this author I did not like this book. The book is short on plot and long on words. The main character over thinks every thought and conversation and feeling ad nauseum.

Spoiler**** The main character runs all over Europe alone to cure herself of fear of change. She turns every man she meets into her "forever love" after one conversation and then gets angry if they do not feel the same way including one man who tells her he is a spy and needs her to deliver a package to other spys. She knows nothing about him, has no way to verify his allegiance but takes the package, then carries it around for a week still deciding if she's going to deliver it.

She knows she is being followed but allows another man to pick her up on a bus, spends the next three days with him and a one-night stand. He tells her he is a serial adulterer but she spends the rest of the book remembering how wonderful, beautiful, loved he made her feel.
She then contemplates picking up another man so she can feel that way again, still being followed.

Additionally I think she is bi-polar as she bounces from severally depressed, barely able to leave her hotel room to rhapsodizing about the beauty of the day and the sun within the same page, multiple times.

Definitely not for me. However, a really good quote: If he genuinely cared, why did he not offer her more, and if he did not care, why did her offer her anything?

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every Dorothy Gilman book I have read is different, and I welcome the differences. Each book that is not a “Mrs. Pollifax” book is unique and has been a treasure to read. I love the Pollifax books very much, but Dorothy Gilman has a talent which enables her to create unique characters that you care about who are very different from Mrs. Pollifax.
Melissa has fled a stifling marriage, had a breakdown, and received a year of counselling. She has cashed in some stock to take a trip to Europe. While Melissa is a grim character – hard to like at first – I grew to appreciate her small steps to becoming more self-aware, less anxious, and less dependent on others. This book is very introspective. Melissa needs to learn to “live with herself”. She learns to take a stand; she learns courage.
This is probably not a book I would read a second time, but was certainly a worthwhile read.

[Jenifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated it. I like her Mrs Pollifax books but this one was not that good. The ending lacked any resolution other than she escaped.

[Gwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In some ways, it's hard to read this objectively (without knowledge of Mrs. Pollifax). This is a very early novel by Gilman, about a woman trying to find herself post-divorce, post-nervous breakdown. As she travels to Europe (a test of herself and her new being), a stranger onboard asks her to deliver a package (a book) with a message. It is unclear who he is, who is following her, if anyone is what or who they seem to be. It is also unclear what she will do --deliver the package? escape her kidnapping?

In some ways, there are clear shades of Mrs. Pollifax. In other ways, this is a novel about God, about self, about relationships.

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once you've created Mrs. Pollifax, can you really write about a woman who is scared of her own shadow? The plot is not nearly as strong, nor the character as well, oomphy. She does get a bit of a spine, but honestly, she needs a bit of "Snap out it!" Alas, she has no friends to tell her to stop gazing at her bellybutton and being so miserable. In some ways, it shows how easy it is to get caught in that loop of self doubting. But she could definately use a batch of Powdermilk Biscuits "gives shy persons the strength to get up and do what needs to be done"

[Corine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've given this 3.5 stars. While the description of the book is technically accurate, this is really a book about the interior journey of the main character. If a person is reading for an adventure, mystery or crime, they may be a little disappointed, as storyline is secondary to the process of self-discovery of a woman becoming an independent person and living on her own terms. Consequently, it is slower-moving than a typical Dorothy Gilman book. I liked the evolution of the main character. The ending did end too abruptly for my preferences.

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilman takes on a character that's much younger than Mrs. Pollifax, and is definitely more psychologically fragile than Mrs. Pollifax. It's not just a story of a stranger giving someone a book and begging them to deliver it because the stranger knows he's going to die. It's a journey from the depths of depression and fear to courage and a knowledge of who one is and what life is.