The Sea Captain's Wife
Jackie French
Reviewed by Helen
This is a wonderful story, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed and I am not sure how I am going to review it, there are so many different characters and settings, but the sea plays a big part, but I have to say Mair McCrae is a character I will not forget easily, strong and so caring as her life changes in so many ways when she finds her husband, come along for an adventure in life, mystery, intrigue and love.
Mair lives on Big Henry Island it is 1870 and this island is mainly woman and they make the decisions and keep the island running well, they grow food, cook, they knit clothes with their family patterns their men are sailors and leave on ships when they arrive and return when and if they can, three years ago the wave took all of their fishing boats and men and Mair lost her fiancé. The woman need and want husbands they truly are a loving group, the island tradition of searching the beach for sailors washed up they call them beachies and often they stay and become husbands.
When Mair finds Michael Dawson washed up on the beach little does she know how her life will change in the weeks that it takes Michael to heal she gets to know him well, she learns about The Ghost and he is very well liked by the woman on the island and even though they know they are living on a volcano Old Henry just grumbles but Michael is worried that that will change and soon, he loves Mair and soon they are married and he and some of the older woman convince Mair to leave the island with Michael to start a new life, this is of course very scary for Mair.
When they arrive in Sydney Australia, it takes Mair a little time to settle in and for Michael’s family to accept her and of course Michael is eager to be off again to search for the elusive Ghost that he discovered before he went overboard all those months ago, when Michael departs on the new steam ship he does not expect it to be as long as it ends up being and as for Mair strange things are happening and Mair is convinced that the Dawson family are in grave danger, will they all be safe, will Michael ever return?
This is such a well told adventure story, so many fabulous characters, it has a little of everything and is sure to please any reader who picks this one up, the sea journeys are described so well and Mair’s amazement on her journey was eye opening, I do highly recommend this one.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
Mair lives on Big Henry Island it is 1870 and this island is mainly woman and they make the decisions and keep the island running well, they grow food, cook, they knit clothes with their family patterns their men are sailors and leave on ships when they arrive and return when and if they can, three years ago the wave took all of their fishing boats and men and Mair lost her fiancé. The woman need and want husbands they truly are a loving group, the island tradition of searching the beach for sailors washed up they call them beachies and often they stay and become husbands.
When Mair finds Michael Dawson washed up on the beach little does she know how her life will change in the weeks that it takes Michael to heal she gets to know him well, she learns about The Ghost and he is very well liked by the woman on the island and even though they know they are living on a volcano Old Henry just grumbles but Michael is worried that that will change and soon, he loves Mair and soon they are married and he and some of the older woman convince Mair to leave the island with Michael to start a new life, this is of course very scary for Mair.
When they arrive in Sydney Australia, it takes Mair a little time to settle in and for Michael’s family to accept her and of course Michael is eager to be off again to search for the elusive Ghost that he discovered before he went overboard all those months ago, when Michael departs on the new steam ship he does not expect it to be as long as it ends up being and as for Mair strange things are happening and Mair is convinced that the Dawson family are in grave danger, will they all be safe, will Michael ever return?
This is such a well told adventure story, so many fabulous characters, it has a little of everything and is sure to please any reader who picks this one up, the sea journeys are described so well and Mair’s amazement on her journey was eye opening, I do highly recommend this one.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
4 stars
March 1, 2024 by HQ Fiction
