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Overview
Every fall, the men of Loyalty Island—like their fathers and grandfathers before them—still sail from the Olympic Peninsula up to the Bering Sea to spend the winter catching king crab. Their dangerous occupation keeps food on the table but constantly threatens to leave empty seats around it.
To Cal, Alaska remains as mythical and mysterious as Treasure Island, and the stories his father returns with are as mesmerizing as those he once invented about Captain Flint before he turned pirate. But while Cal is too young to accompany his father, he is old enough to know that everything depends on the fate of those few boats thousands of miles to the north. He is also old enough to feel the tension between his parents over whether he will follow in his father’s footsteps. And old enough to wonder about his mother’s relationship with John Gaunt, owner of the fleet.
Then Gaunt dies suddenly, leaving the business in the hands of his son, who seems intent on selling away the fishermen’s livelihood. Soon Cal stumbles on evidence that his father may have taken extreme measures to salvage their way of life. As winter comes on, his suspicions deepening and his moral compass shattered, he is forced to make a terrible choice.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781594486562 |
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Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
Publication date: | 04/02/2013 |
Pages: | 320 |
Product dimensions: | 5.51(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.79(d) |
Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
What People are Saying About This
Starred Review. "[An] incandescently imaginative and suspenseful tale of fathers and sons, treasure and desperation, secrets and betrayals. Unfurling within moody evocations of the sea-brewed weather of the Olympic Peninsula and the purgatory endured by the women and children while the men fish in Alaskan waters, Dybek's tale subtly maps the trajectories that lead from worry to anger to tragedy... A moral dilemma of epic complexity... A superbly orchestrated and soulful drama of loyalty to family and an imperiled way of life and the fathomless forces that make a good man go bad." - Booklist
"In this tale of good men 'doing unspeakable harm to other people,' Dybek proves himself an observant, appealing writer... Peopled with multidimensional characters and featuring well-drawn settings... Dybek writes well about family, about relationships and loyalty, about responsibility and community, and about all that passes from father to son." - Kirkus Reviews
"Dybek writes expertly about fishery and music, a...juxtaposition that...gives the story a deep, otherworldly quality... A captivating, literary coming-of-age novel." - Library Journal
"Dybek delivers a boatload [of twists] in this engrossing, often haunting thriller... [A] fine debut novel." - Washington Independent Review of Books
"[A] book to watch for." - O Magazine
"[A] powerful first novel." - The Boston Globe
"There is...wisdom here, and the momentum of a thrilling yarn, delivered as if by a scarred man by the consoling light of a fire." - The Economist
"Brilliant... I could do it a great disservice by labeling it a 'coming of age' novel, but the tapestry that Dybek weaves deserves much, much better than that... A suspenseful novel...the quality of the writing is enough to engage the reader... The themes that Dybek tackles are universal and are sure to resonate with all." - The Free Lance-Star
"[One of] the season's standout novels... Dybek can paint a salty landscape...but it's the fast whirlpool of lies, murder, and moral dilemma that drives the book." - Outside Magazine
"[A] Must Read Novel... A complex and riveting tale about deception and betrayal... Inventive, even ingenious... Inspired... In this magnificent debut Dybek's incommunicable thrills shock us and disturb us and make him one to watch." - The Daily Beast
"When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man is as much an atmospheric novel of morality and ambiguity as it is a sharply observed and plotted mystery-a novel for a new generation searching for understanding and adventure in the enigma of the sea." - Shelf Awareness
"A hypnotic, relentless debut... Dybek [is] a thrilling talent to watch... Terrific." - The A.V. Club
"Nick Dybek's debut novel left me on the verge of...missing my subway stop...[and] crying in public... [A] precise, incredibly tight narrative... [An] impressive debut. I'm excited to see what the future holds for Dybek." - The Brunette Bibliophile
"Robert Louis Stevenson would be proud of Nick Dybek... He delivers a page-turner full of danger, secrets, and betrayals." - Stewart O'Nan, author of Emily, Alone
"Complex and suspenseful... Dybek manages to create [a] genuine tragedy-powerful, mythic, unforgettable." - Jaimy Gordon, author of Lord of Misrule
"An engrossing and exacting moral thriller." - Peter Ho Davies, author of The Welsh Girl
"Part mystery, part lament, part coming-of-age drama, this novel will stay with you long after you turn the last page... Fascinating and powerful." - Daniel Alarcon, author of Lost City Radio
"An authentic, atmospheric, coming-of-age story with a painful dilemma... A terrific debut." - C. J. Box, author of Back of Beyond
Reading Group Guide
INTRODUCTION
Every fall, the men of Loyalty Island-like their fathers and grandfathers before them-still sail from the Olympic Peninsula up to the Bering Sea to spend the winter catching king crab. Their dangerous occupation keeps food on the table but constantly threatens to leave empty seats around it.
To Cal, Alaska remains as mythical and mysterious as Treasure Island, and the stories his father returns with are as mesmerizing as those he once invented about Captain Flint before he turned pirate. But while Cal is too young to accompany his father, he is old enough to know that everything depends on the fate of those few boats thousands of miles to the north. He is also old enough to feel the tension between his parents over whether he will follow in his father's footsteps. And old enough to wonder about his mother's relationship with John Gaunt, owner of the fleet.
Then Gaunt dies suddenly, leaving the business in the hands of his son, who seems intent on selling away the fishermen's livelihood. Soon Cal stumbles on evidence that his father may have taken extreme measures to salvage their way of life. As winter comes on, his suspicions deepening and his moral compass shattered, he is forced to make a terrible choice.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS