Daughters of Nantucket: A Novel

by Julie Gerstenblatt

Overview

“Gerstenblatt's distinctive tale, a triumph in storytelling, celebrates the courage and tenacity of women.” —Booklist, starred review

Set against Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846, this sweeping, emotional novel brings together three courageous women battling to save everything they hold dear…

Nantucket in 1846 is an island set apart not just by its geography but by its unique circumstances. With their menfolk away at sea, often for years at a time, women here know a rare independence—and the challenges that go with it.

Eliza Macy is struggling to conceal her financial trouble as she waits for her whaling captain husband to return from a voyage. In desperation, she turns against her progressive ideals and targets Meg Wright, a pregnant free Black woman trying to relocate her store to Main Street. Meanwhile, astronomer Maria Mitchell loves running Nantucket’s Atheneum and spending her nights observing the stars, yet she fears revealing the secret wishes of her heart.

On a sweltering July night, a massive fire breaks out in town, quickly kindled by the densely packed wooden buildings. With everything they possess now threatened, these three very different women are forced to reevaluate their priorities and decide what to save, what to let go and what kind of life to rebuild from the ashes of the past.

"A memorable story of friendship and courage." —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778333425
Publisher:	MIRA Books
Publication date:	03/14/2023
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	32,985
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Julie Gerstenblatt holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Cognoscenti, among others. When not writing, Julie is a college essay coach, as well as a producer and on-air host for A Mighty Blaze. A native New Yorker, Julie now lives in coastal Rhode Island with her family and one very smart shichon poo. Daughters of Nantucket is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

ONE OF ZIBBY OWENS' MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR!


“Gerstenblatt's distinctive tale, a triumph in storytelling, celebrates the courage and tenacity of women.” —Booklist, starred review

"Julie Gerstenblatt brings a 19th-century New England coastal town to life in this dramatic, meticulously researched, beautifully paced novel. A moving story of hope, loss, perseverance, and survival.”
–Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan Train and The Exiles

"Julie Gerstenblatt's splendid debut Daughters of Nantucket is page turning historical fiction. Written with heart and affection for the island and its people, this novel is for readers who long for home and the stories that make history."
—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone


"Vibrates with fascinating history, evocative setting and one of the more colorful casts of characters in recent literature. A novel to be both savoured and raced through, and the kind of book that makes reading such a joy."
–Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society & Bloomsbury Girls

"Daughters of Nantucket shows us that sometimes a woman needs to walk through fire to become a stronger, better person. An unforgettable tale of courage and redemption."
—Laurie Lico Albanese, Author of Hester and Stolen Beauty

"a fascinating look at an island ahead of its time, where women exercised privileges often reserved for men and where Blacks shared in the civil liberties of their white neighbors. At its heart, this is a story of love, loss and redemption.”
–Renee Rosen USA Today bestselling author The Social Graces

"Brings us Nantucket’s whaling days in compelling, breath-taking, life. Artfully weaves in modern issues and challenges in this gorgeously written novel, leaving us wiser and more optimistic for our own times."
—Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Love

"Daughters of Nantucket is thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction, beautifully researched and very authentic. You will be swept up from page one!"
—Jane Green, author of Sister Stardust and The Beach House


"For admirers of AHAB’S WIFE and GONE WITH THE WIND, this sweeping and thoroughly engaging epic is sure to captivate lovers of historical romantic fiction."
–Lynda Cohen Loigman, bestselling author of The Two-Family House, The Wartime Sisters, and The Matchmaker’s Gift


"a fiercely beautiful story of female resilience and courage set against the backdrop of nineteenth century Nantucket. It’s the definition of a page-turner with heart. Count me in as a Julie Gerstenblatt fan!"
–Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of The Forever Summer and Gilt

"Full of richly detailed history and also the spark and brilliance of Gerstenblatt’s imagination, this is a novel that's so alive, every page gives off rare heat."
–Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You

From the Publisher

Three very different women learn to navigate a society bound by constricting rules about race, gender, and class—revealing, in the process, surprising parallels with American life today. A moving story of hope, loss, perseverance, and survival.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline

Shines a light on a little-known historical event, while telling a memorable story of friendship and courage.”

New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff

In a youthful, spirited voice, Keylor Leigh narrates a sweeping novel that takes place on Nantucket Island in the summer of 1846. The story is told from the points of view of three characters: a lonely sea captain's wife, a progressive librarian who is also an astronomer, and a pregnant Black business owner. Leigh gives all three women distinctive voices, and listeners come to understand their viewpoints, prejudices, and longings. All three are tested by the horrendous fire that destroys many homes and businesses. The island tragedy alters the lives and perspectives of the women. This work of historical fiction is fast paced, informative, richly detailed, and filled with memorable characters. Leigh keeps the story moving and listeners engaged. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2023 - AudioFile

In a youthful, spirited voice, Keylor Leigh narrates a sweeping novel that takes place on Nantucket Island in the summer of 1846. The story is told from the points of view of three characters: a lonely sea captain's wife, a progressive librarian who is also an astronomer, and a pregnant Black business owner. Leigh gives all three women distinctive voices, and listeners come to understand their viewpoints, prejudices, and longings. All three are tested by the horrendous fire that destroys many homes and businesses. The island tragedy alters the lives and perspectives of the women. This work of historical fiction is fast paced, informative, richly detailed, and filled with memorable characters. Leigh keeps the story moving and listeners engaged. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2023 - AudioFile