by Janice Clark
In its basic concepts, the book comes down to a story about the Rathbones, a whaling family, their wives and descendants. It covers about 100 years, from the mid 1700’s to the mid 1800”s. The book is narrated by Mercy Rathbone, as she and Mordechai Rathbone, whom we meet as her cousin and tutor, sea...
“Janice Clark’s debut novel is fabulous — in the word’s earlier definitions of ‘suggesting a fable’ and ‘astonishing,’ as well as its modern meaning of ‘terrific’ and ‘awesome.’ The Rathbones is both cleverly crafted and a beguiling read…part fairy tale, part sea yarn (with nods to Melville and Hemi...