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The Esquimaux

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About this listen

The North Atlantic, 1816. John Sackhouse, a native Greenlander, drifts in his canoe perilously close to death. He is rescued by a passing whaler whose captain, the enigmatic Owen Chase, believes John is a gift from God destined to lead his ship to untold riches.

But the ship's crew do not trust John and decide he must be done away with - until a spectacular event changes everything. Soon the ship is bound for the bustling port of Nantucket, where John must learn to cope with his celebrity status and the strange customs of a new land.

Then he meets Owen's wife, the beautiful and bold Isobel, and, to his dismay, falls for her. As this love triangle intensifies, John also finds himself entangled in the murderous intrigue of rival whaleship companies. And beneath it all is the dark secret of John's past.

Inspired by the incredible true story of John Sackhouse, The Esquimaux is a thrilling and unforgettable novel about greed and lust and the difficulties of love, friendship and acceptance.

©2016 Tom Tivnan (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Fiction Historical Fiction World Literature
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This story came over to me like a long river journey through a wide variety of landscapes and seascapes - the pace is variable and there are spells of activity (of many different kinds) amongst slower moving sections. There are lots of brief but unexpected twists and turns, many of them quite comical.. The use of language, and some of the human behaviour, was a rather quirky mix of the modern with some of what we have always been led to believe would not have been possible in the period in which this story is set (erect penises make themselves felt throughout). The pictures of very contrasting human communities are very well drawn indeed.

I don't know what the author's intentions were but, for me, the story presented a cogent exploration of mankind's problems with the contradictions between the laws of nature and the requirements of civilisation. It also takes a sideways look at the rather questionable role which religion has played in bringing us all to where we are right now.

Like a meandering river

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I did manage to get to the end of this book but I have to admit it was a struggle especially when, after an exhilarating start, the main character hit dry land and everything fell into the doldrums. What I did like was the historical detail about Nantucket and the way author brought into perspective the lives of the sailors and the toll their long and frequent absences took on their long suffering spouses. What made me squirm was the way the author wrote about sex. Was he intentionally being farcical with some of the scenes? I couldn't quite work it out, but it didn't seem to sit right with the general atmosphere of the story. I also found the way the story skipped backwards and forwards in time, incredibly confusing and I wish the hands of a very strong and determined editor had been involved. Overall I would say this is an interesting rather than good book but I would be interested in reading more from this author as he does seem to have potential.

Interesting historical detail. Meandering story...

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