Ahab's Wife Review

Women's History Biography

Title of the book: 

Name(s) of the author(s): 

Who is the book about? 

Una Spenser, wife of Captain Ahab of Moby Dick

Period: 

Accuracy: 

Reading level: 

Fiction or non-fiction? 

Liked most: 

I loved Una's independence, especially during that era. She was adventurous and brave. She lived her own life.

Liked least: 

It is a little on the long side for me - 688 pages.

Summary: 

This is the story of the wife of Captain Ahab of Moby Dick. It is a wonderful look at Moby Dick through a daring and feminine window. This book continued to seep into me for months after I finished reading it as I continued to understand all the ways I related to Una, even as a modern woman.

My Review 

It has been several years now since I read Ahab's Wife, and still it affects me. Having chosen to write about Una Spenser here, I believe I'll need to reread the book very soon!

Captain Ahab's wife, Una Spenser, is a strong woman who struggles in these pages with love, motherhood, marriage, slavery, travel through the wilderness, voyages on high seas, even cannibalism when faced with having survived a shipwreck in a small boat.

This is a story that will make you stand taller, feel braver, and live your own life, not your husband's or any else's.

I highly recommend Ahab's Wife to anyone who loves to read.

Would you recommend this to a friend? 

Jone Johnson Lewis, Women's History Guide, says: