The Voyage of the Narwhal: A Novel

The Narwhal embarks on a mission to locate the remains of a disappeared ship. However, the vessel's young commander, Zeke Voorhees, harbors hidden motives that threaten the safety of the ship and its crew. Erasmus Darwin Wells, a scholar-naturalist and the commander's soon-to-be brother-in-law, may be the only person aboard capable of changing their course. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the women left behind undertake journeys of the imagination as they wait for the Narwhal's return. Set in the mid-nineteenth century, the novel explores American fascination with Arctic exploration, the nature of discovery, and the consequences of ambition. Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever (winner of the National Book Award), employs her characteristic lyrical and precise style to tell this story.