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Rating: 
Summary: Richly Imagined
Review: A richly imagined novel which captures all the intricacies of historical Nantucket and the resilient women who stood by their whaling husbands. Louise M. Gouge's rendition of Hannah Oldweiler, the young but fiercely intelligent bride of Captain Ahab is both moving and inspiring. The characters and setting resonate with authenticity. Not to be missed!
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Summary: Accessible to Everyone
Review: Ahab's Bride is a delightful story of what the woman married to the infamous captain might have been like. Her strengths and weaknesses (and those of Ahab) are revealed through this historical Christian romance. Even readers who are not usually drawn to historical fiction can appreciate the timeless story of a man's endless obsession and a woman's endless love. The spiritual element of the novel is blended nicely within the context of the story and should be accessible to just about everyone. Although Melville's Moby Dick, which inspired Gouge's story, is often heavy reading bogged down with difficult language, Ahab's Bride remains enjoyable throughout.
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Summary: Review of Ahab's Bride
Review: Ahab's Bride is one of the best books I've read for a long time. All I can say, is "Bravo!" Louise Gouge captured the essence of 19th century New Bedford and Nantucket with an authenticity that put me right there in that place and time. Her writing drew me into the character of Hannah Rose, completely. I could feel Hannah's joy, angst, anger, and grief as Gouge skillfully charted her spiritual trek to a stronger faith in God. The character of Ahab is just as compelling, and to my surprise, I found myself feeling sympathy for this character that could vacillate between kindness, cold indifference, and fury. The author gives the reader an honest and unflinching look into Ahab's soul, and does a wonderful job defining a very complicated and multi-faceted personality. She breathes life into the entire cast of characters, showing a depth of knowledge and understanding of the place and people to a degree I rarely find in a novel. In short, after finishing the story, I am having "Hannah Rose withdrawal." I can hardly wait for "Hannah Rose," the second in Louise Gouge's "Ahab's Legacy" series to be released this coming January.
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Summary: A beautiful story, full of hope
Review: AHAB'S BRIDE took me to a time and place that became so real I felt as though I were there, too. The characters and their journey together made me weep and laugh with them--incredibly rich and real. Hannah's internal journey from innocent young girl to mature woman, able to withstand difficulty with grace and dignity, is a story we can all take to heart and try to emulate. Ms. Gouge has created a beautiful story, with a language that draws one in and makes one want to stay for a long, long while. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Ahab's Bride
Review: Ahab's Bride touches your heart and soul. When Hannah wept, I wept. Each character in this wonderful novel, even Ahab, is richly drawn. I felt as if I had opened the door to Hannah's world. From the innocent eighteen-year-old with stars in her eyes when meeting the magnatic Ahab to the widow years later weeping for her dead husband who spit in the eye of God. Ms. Gouge is a superb writer. She sweeps into your world and tells you to follow her in her world. I encourage everyone to open the pages of Ahab's Bride and go along on Hannah's journey to become the independent and mature woman she came to be.
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Summary: Gouge creates a luminous love story
Review: Gouge weaves a luminous story of a young woman's passionate love for a man considerably older than herself and her search for a faith on which she can anchor her life when earthly love fails. Completing the story of Captain Ahab of Moby Dick, Ahab's Bride introduces readers to the headstrong young woman he married, Hannah Rose Oldweiler. Her intelligence and will are a match for Ahab's, but despite his love for her, he cannot be dissuaded from the hunt for the great white whale who ultimately kills him. While he is bent on avenging the injury the whale did to him, Hannah discovers a sure source of faith that sustains her through life's trials as she struggles with the loneliness of her husband's long absences at sea and the conflicts that inevitably rise between them. This intensely felt narrative brings to life a rich cast of fascinating characters and the nineteenth-century world of whalefishery in New Bedford and Nantucket. Readers will be moved and inspired.
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Summary: great story
Review: I wasn't sure in the beginning whether I would like this book. It's written with a great deal of narrative writing and is "chewy" like the books of old. But then as I continued reading, that's exactly what I liked about the book. It had depth. The story unfolded slowly, but it allowed me to get into the hearts and minds of the characters.Well-written novel with a great deal of historical information woven throughout the story. Ahab's great battle with the white whale Moby Dick was shadowed by the struggle of a woman desiring to understand the heart of a man. Good story.
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Summary: Accessible to Everyone
Review: Young, headstrong Hannah Oldweiler sets her heart on the famous Captain Ahab and wins his love in return. While celebrating the passion and commitment of married love, Ahab's Bride examines the trials and difficulties that come with it. Hannah faces the challenges and complexities of a relationship with a man "larger than life" with spirit and determination. She has not chosen an easy path and her questions of what faith in God truly mean are tested again and again, especially when she takes second place to Ahab's quest for revenge against the terrible Moby Dick. A colorful historical journey into the 19th century Nantucket whaling community, Ahab's bride is a poignant tale that brings to life the people and era of an industry that no longer exists.
Louise M. Gouge's characters live. They will delight and haunt you even after the last page is read, leaving you with a desire to know yet more about these endearing people.
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