BookBrowse Reviews Wild and Distant Seas by Tara Karr Roberts

BookBrowse:

A sweeping historical novel spanning continents that connects four generations of women to the events of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.

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Tara Karr Roberts is a newspaper columnist who also teaches English and journalism. Wild and Distant Seas, her first novel, won over our First Impressions reviewers, receiving 4 or 5 stars from 21 out of 23 readers.

What the book is about:

Call me a sucker for a reimagining or retelling of a classic tale, but I enjoyed this homage to Moby-Dick. Told in five parts by the matrilineal descendants of the famous narrator, Ishmael, the story almost feels like four individual novellas that are satisfyingly woven together at the end (Nicole G). Wild and Distant Seas reads like a fairy tale told through four generations of gifted women who can manipulate minds, envision the experiences of the people they touch, and retrace paths long gone. These "special senses" lead main characters Evangeline, Rachel, Mara, and Antonia to make decisions that take them on unexpected journeys (Giovanna I).

Readers were taken in by the novel's immersive descriptions and sense of place.

This piece of historical fiction, as the novel begins, truly captures the rich atmosphere of a Nantucket seaside town and inn. As the story advances, other towns and countries are brought to life (Beatrice M). The descriptive beauty of Roberts' language is evident throughout and takes the reader along on the journey and into the sea (Marie M). The sea and whales are wonderfully described. I also enjoyed the location descriptions, especially of Nantucket, the forests of Brazil and turn-of-the-20th-century Idaho (Kathleen C).

They also praised the story's sheer scope and captivating plot.

Following the family mystery through all the twists and turns around the world kept me turning pages (Bonne O). The writing is lyrical and moving and keeps the reader immersed in the tales, anxious to see how it will all end (Antoinette B). A story of four generations of strong women, each having a unique gift of clairvoyance, and their worldwide search for the elusive Ishmael, whose absence affected each life in a different way. The search is the thread that pulls the reader through the story, and even though the ending came a bit quickly for me, I found it satisfying (Beth W). The story made me want to keep turning the pages. I had to finish the book. There was no guessing the end and I like that in a story (Veronica E).

Some found the book slow in places, but this generally didn't hamper their enjoyment of it.

The story's flow was slow in the beginning and gradually found its rhythm as we traveled from Nantucket to Boston, Brazil, and Italy, before returning to the United States — Idaho and Nantucket (Giovanna I). Overall, this is not a fast read but a rewarding one (Babe H).

Reviewers stressed that you don't need to be familiar with Moby-Dick to thoroughly enjoy Roberts' novel.

Fortunately, you do not need to be a lit major or even read Moby-Dick to understand and appreciate Roberts' debut novel. The multi-generational story of Evangeline and her heirs is compelling and intriguing as they each navigate their life paths and mother-daughter relationships (Melissa H). As the women move across the world, each seeks, or seeks to avoid, knowledge and memory of the character Ishmael from Moby-Dick. I haven't read Moby-Dick, but I was able to follow the story and understand what he represented (Kathleen L).

And they loved the focus on mother-daughter relationships, as well as the experiences of women across generations.

I loved the honest portrayal in the interactions between mothers and daughters (Bonne O). Male characters are not neglected, but relationships between women, both mothers and daughters and the diverse women who sustain them, build our understanding of the enduring values of caring and loyalty (Sharon M).

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in February 2024, and has been updated for the January 2025 edition. Click here to go to this issue.