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The Sea Captain's Wife

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 786 ratings · 152 reviews

Azuba Galloway, daughter of a shipwright, sees ships leaving for foreign ports from her bustling town on the Bay of Fundy and dreams of seeing the world. When she marries Nathaniel Bradstock, a veteran sea captain, she believes she will sail at his side. But when she becomes pregnant she is forced to stay behind. Her father has built the couple a gabled house overlooking t...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by Vintage Canada (first published 2010)

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May 29, 2011 Kathleen Valentine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“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 b...more “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. (less)

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Nov 17, 2012 Carole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

"The Sea Captain's Wife" takes place in the 1860's. A young New Brunswick woman, married to a merchant ship captain who is away at sea for many months/years at a time, persuades her husband to take her and their young daughter on one of his voyages. The novel is the story of their adventures and misadventures during this journey which lasts for a couple of years as they travel around the world.

I enjoyed reading this novel both for the story, which was very engaging, and for the historical and g...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian

The main character, Azuba Galloway, grew up in a small community on the Bay of Fundy, Whelan's Cove. Her family were shipbuilders, and she always dreamed of going to sea someday. When she meets and marries a sea captain she expects to sail with him, but he leaves her shortly after their marriage while he goes on another voyage.
She doesn't feel comfortable with the other captain's wives, and is lonely in the big house on the hill, and finds a friend in an unlikely place. Just before her husband r...more

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May 26, 2012 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dramatic and absorbing story of Azuba Galloway who grows up in Whalen's Cove, near Saint John, New Brunswick, in the mid-19th century. Azuba's dream of visiting the exotic lands that lie at the end of a ship's voyage comes true when she and their daughter Carrie join her husband, Nathanial Bradstock, on his ship, Traveller, carrying goods around the world. Nathanial's reluctance to bring his family on board arises from his intimacy with the dangers of life at sea. But Azuba is adamant that her p...more

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May 30, 2011 Kathleen Valentine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"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 Azub...more "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.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 18, 2011 Phoebe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Cheryl, Deborah, Lisa, Kezia

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...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 9-star, library

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Jun 16, 2010 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In The Sea Captain's Wife, Azuba desperately wants to join her husband Nathaniel on his ship. However, he has other ideas and leaves her at home while he goes on a lengthy voyage. Upon his return, he learns of an unfortunate incident and realizes that he has little choice but to take Azuba with him on his next trip. Azuba has no idea what's in store for her. Rough waters, horrific storms, pirates, mutiny, starvation; all are featured in this harrowing tale of life on the high seas.

I loved this...more

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Jun 07, 2010 Geetha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in the 1860’s, the Sea Captain’s Wife is a sea faring book, a journey around the world on a merchant ship before the days of GPS, wireless communication or helicopters able to drop emergency supplies.
Azuba, born and raised on the shores of the Bay of Fundy and the daughter of a shipbuilder, is married to Captain Bradstock. Unable to bear the loneliness of separation and to escape a scandal, she accompanies her husband on his voyage. The book tells the story of the voyage and its challenges –...more Set in the 1860’s, the Sea Captain’s Wife is a sea faring book, a journey around the world on a merchant ship before the days of GPS, wireless communication or helicopters able to drop emergency supplies.
Azuba, born and raised on the shores of the Bay of Fundy and the daughter of a shipbuilder, is married to Captain Bradstock. Unable to bear the loneliness of separation and to escape a scandal, she accompanies her husband on his voyage. The book tells the story of the voyage and its challenges – storms, pirates, starvation, isolation, sea sickness, mutiny. The joy of sitting in a room that does not shake and being in the safety of one’s own home is felt by the reader.
The characters are well drawn. Azuba is a very attractive heroine, intelligent, resourceful, strong minded and courageous. The reader watches Azuba grow in her understanding of her husband. She understands that he grew up without sisters; his job has kept him restricted to a world in which there are no women. She gradually understands that he must learn to relate to her. We also witness Nathaniel’s shift from a severe Captain (“I am the Captain of the ship and you are my wife”) to a tender husband and attentive father. The development of the relationship between husband and wife seemed to me the main theme of the novel.
Beth Powning has researched the book thoroughly. We experience all aspects of a sea-faring life and visit with Azuba, South America, San Francisco, Europe and Hong Kong. We experience the doldrums, the inhumane treatment of slaves in mines, fashionable 19th century Europe, exotic Far East islands.
At the end of the novel Azuba gets what she wants but as is so often true in life, she gets wishes but not the way she wants them. She wanted to travel with her husband and she wanted her husband to stop sailing and be home with her and the children. Both these wishes are granted her but at what price?
As Azuba does, the reader also asks the question “What if she had not gone on this journey”?
(less)

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Sep 06, 2012 Libby Chester rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 ho...more 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. (less)

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Oct 05, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 disgra...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was selected by another member of my bookclub, and quite frankly, it's not one I'd have chosen to read. I just can't get enthralled by pointless mushy love stories, so it was with reluctance and extremely low expectations that I started this book. Much to my surprise, the details of the life of a sea captain really intrigued me. Being a Maritimer (by default - I wasn't born here) also allowed me to make connections with the setting of the book. A myriad of problems and adventures befal...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dysfunctional-childhoods-relationsh, historical-novel, travel-adventure-novel

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).

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Jun 19, 2011 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

AH! I just finished this book and I still feel a little jumpy! Powning was a bit long winded and repetitive in parts, but on the whole, I enjoyed the book. It was pretty exciting. Not the same old "lady at sea" tale I've read before. Having a nursing infant myself at the moment, the ending had me that much more tense. I thought the ending was wrapping far differently, so I was surprised.

Good read!

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May 24, 2011 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Sea Captain's Wife is a wonderful novel which sucked me in with its' poetic writing from page one. Powning's ability to write a descriptive scene where the reader feels they are there is fabulous. I loved the main character and could associate with her struggles as a woman in a very repressed time for women, struggling for adventure, yet remaining "accepting" to her "status" in life as a married woman.

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Aug 08, 2011 megan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical_fiction

Azuba is the wife of a sea captain (as the title would imply). While he is at sea, she lives in a town based in the Bay of Fundy (Nova Scotia & New Brunswick area of Canada--legendary for an aggressive tide system). Azuba imagines that life living on a ship with her husband would be better for her and her daughter Carrie than staying at home without him and not knowing when he will return. Unfortunate circumstances allow for this wish to be fulfilled. A majority of the book is told while Azu...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Shirley added it · review of another edition

The Sea Captain's Wife by Beth Powning is an historical novel set in the 1860s at a time when merchant and scientific naval expeditions played an important role in expanding trade, exploration and scientific knowledge in the world. I read this book a few months after reading Iain McCalman's Darwin's Armada, which traced the scientific naval voyages of Darwin and his contemporaries. What is striking about Beth Powning's novel is that she writes from the perspective of a woman caught up in this ma...more The Sea Captain's Wife by Beth Powning is an historical novel set in the 1860s at a time when merchant and scientific naval expeditions played an important role in expanding trade, exploration and scientific knowledge in the world. I read this book a few months after reading Iain McCalman's Darwin's Armada, which traced the scientific naval voyages of Darwin and his contemporaries. What is striking about Beth Powning's novel is that she writes from the perspective of a woman caught up in this male dominated world. Beth Powning does an excellent job of developing the main characters - Azuba Galloway and her naval captain husband Nathaniel Bradstock.

The novel begins in Whelan's Cove, a small fishing and shipbuilding village on Fundy Bay in New Brunswick. Azuba, the daughter of the owner of Whelan Cove's shipbuilding business, admires the women who accompany their captain husbands on naval expeditions, and longs to leave the confines of New Brunswick to see the world. When her new husband reluctantly agrees that she may accompany him, albeit for the wrong reasons, their relationship and their life evolves in ways that neither of them could have predicted.

This gripping book takes us on a treacherous journey filled with wonder, heartache, death and new life. Azuba, through her own fierce determination and abundant skills, assumes a meaningful role on her husband's ship, preventing a killing, protecting a critical food source and saving her husband's life. Nathaniel, wounded so seriously that he will never sail the seas again, finds new meaning in life and a way forward that recognizes that the days of wooden sailing ships are numbered. Through all this, the relationship between Azuba and Nathaniel evolves and blossoms into a new and intimate understanding that can only be reached through equality and mutual respect. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the complexity of human relationships. The fact that it also a gripping adventure adds to its enjoyment.(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Sherri Keller rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star

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 ma...more 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.(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Caroline Herbert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ostensibly the story of Azuba, the titular sea-captain's wife, I found the real story to be that of her relationship with Nathaniel, her husband. When we first meet Azuba she is alone with their daughter while Nathaniel is at sea, so it is the story of them being apart, of loneliness. She wants nothing more than to sail with her husband and be a family at sea, and eventually she gets her wish. The circumstances of her coming on board are not what she envisioned, however--Nathaniel takes her &...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Susan Doull rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to see how captains were treated like royality in that time. Amazing.

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May 02, 2013 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bought-used, historical-fiction, 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...more

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Dec 27, 2009 Lorraine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lorraine by: LT Early Reviewers

Shelves: canadian, historical-fiction, i-own-it

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...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As with other reviewers, this book kept my attention, and I read through it fairly quickly. Not a moment was too dull, things rolled quickly, and the topic was interesting.

I enjoyed Prowning's building of the main character. She let Ezuba's character really develop. In her, almost any one can identify. And I really liked the adventures. They were fun, exciting, and easy to read through.

As with other reviewers though, this will not become my favorite book, but it was entertaining and worth a read...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Lindsey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was another decent piece of Canadian literature depicting the life of Maritime sailors. Azuba marries a sea captain and looks forward to going to sea with him. When he decides that life at sea is no life for a lady and Azuba stays at home alone, her loneliness brings her to a questionable relationship with the local reverend. Once the community and her husband find out about this, he takes her and their young daughter with him on his travels. We hear about the joys and hardships of life at...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Rarecat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Captivating read detailing life at sea from the perspective of a woman in the last days of the Age of Sail. The writer’s powerful descriptions created very real experiences for the reader, taken through storms at Cape Horn, starvation in the doldrums, piracy in the South China Sea, all mixed with episodes of glamour and elegance in the ports of Europe. Amidst the adventures, at stake is the relationship between Azuba and her husband, the Sea Captain. Feminist issues – the woman’s right to produc...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Melinda Van Komen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Azuba was, for the most part, a compelling heroine. Her desire to go to sea with her husband seemed natural, and Powning did a fine job of setting in motion the events that sent her out with her merchant sea captain husband and young daughter. The historical aspects of this story were so interesting -- I found myself horrified and intrigued by the living conditions Azuba and her daughter Carrie endured. I also found the evolution of their marriage to be thoughtfully drawn and true-to-life.

My onl...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A terrific sea tale that inspires women to follow their heart, remember they are stronger than they think and provides a realistic glimpse in to what used to be the harrowing and dangerous life on board a tall ship. I thoroughly enjoyed this story with its vivid description of people and surroundings. I could easily imagine Azuba and her daughter Carrie in the Captains quarters and their descent in to sheer survival mode was almost painful to witness. I felt the loss of Harriet the chicken and u...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Deb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian

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 s...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Rhonda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Azuba and her 5-year-old daughter, Carrie, live on the Bay of Fundy, in 1861, while her husband captain's the ship "Traveller", leaving her behing for years at a time. She yearns to be with her husband on the ship and travel with him, as SOME families do, but Nathaniel will have no part of taking his wife and child along on such dangerous journeys.

But soon something happens at home that causes him to allow them to join him, and Azuba is off for quite the adventure...

This book was gripping and t...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian, book-club, historical-fiction, sailing, bookmineset-2012-2013, 2010s

While there were parts of this novel that I enjoyed, I mostly found it rather annoying. The main character was very naive and selfish. The writing style was choppy and disjointed. It felt like the author kept switching from 1st to 3rd person. I learned some interesting historical facts and a lot about shipping in the 1860s. But I really felt like there was a lot of 21st century ideologies and themes that didn't ring true to how a woman in the 1860s would think. This is not a book I would recomme...more

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About Beth Powning

Born in a small town in Connecticut. Attended E.O. Smith High School, and Sarah Lawrence College. Majored in creative writing. Moved to New Brunswick, Canada in 1970.

Ran a pottery business with husband Peter. One son, Jake. Began publishing short stories, journalism, and photography.

"Seeds of Another Summer," essays and photos, published in 1995 in Canada, simultaneously in the U.S. as "Home: Chro...more

More about Beth Powning...

Books by Beth Powning

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