The Highest Tide

Average customer rating:

Moving literary drama about growing up and ocean wonders

Great read!

The Highest Tide

Fun and mystery in the puget Sound

Just OK

The Highest Tide
Jim Lynch
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Sea (Man Booker Prize)

ASIN: B000NIJ492
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Amazon.com

Miles O'Malley, 13-year-old insomniac, naturalist, worshipper of Rachel Carson, and dweller on the mud flats of Skookumchuck Bay, at the South end of Puget Sound near Olympia, Washington, is the irresistible center of The Highest Tide. He says, "I learned early on that if you tell people what you see at low tide they'll think you're exaggerating or lying when you're actually just explaining strange and wonderful things as clearly as you can" and "People usually take decades to sort out their view of the universe, if they bother to sort at all. I did my sorting during one freakish summer in which I was ambushed by science, fame and suggestions of the divine."

And what a summer he has! Miles, who is licensed to collect marine specimens for money, slips into his kayak late one night when he can't sleep and begins his exploratory rounds. What he sees is not the usual collectibles. He hears a deep exhale, a sound of release, and comes eye to eye with a giant squid. But, there are no giant squid in Puget Sound or anywhere around it--and when they are seen by humans, they are always dead. His discovery is confirmed by Professor Kramer, a local biologist and Miles's friend. Television cameras arrive, everyone wants to interview this small-for-his-age but very smart boy and the events of the summer begin to unfold.

Jim Lynch has an ability to tell a tale that glows on every page. He knows everything that lives in or near the water by name and habit. This knowledge and his sense of wonder at the natural world brings the reader very close to his story, both in its setting and its characters. One early morning Miles says, "...the water was so clear I could see coon-stripe shrimp ... and the bottomless bed of white clam shells ... Those shells, as unique and timeless as bones, helped me realize that we all die young, that in the life of the earth, we are houseflies, here for one flash of light." Such insights are perfectly natural coming from Miles, whose interests are not garden-variety. He has a mad crush on the mixed-up 18-year-old girl next door, a randy age-mate named Phelps, and a deep friendship with Florence, the elderly woman his mother refers to as "a crazy witch." Florence is a psychic of sorts and her powers come into play when she predicts an extremely high tide on a certain day.

All of these relationships and what is happening between Miles's parents are part of this event-filled, life-changing summer. Early on, Miles says off the top of his head, when asked by a TV reporter why a deep-sea creature has found its way to his front yard, "Maybe the earth is trying to tell us something." What the earth and the sea and the people in Miles's life are all trying to tell him is what he susses out in the days that follow--before that high tide.

This absolutely luminous first novel has all the earmarks of a classic. The Highest Tide is destined to be read, re-read, and to remain on bookshelves for the enjoyment of generations to come. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

One moonlit night, thirteen-year-old Miles OMalley slips out of his house, packs up his kayak and goes exploring on the flats of Puget Sound. But what begins as an ordinary hunt for starfish, snails, and clams is soon transformed by an astonishing sight: a beached giant squid. As the first person to ever see a giant squid alive, the speed-reading Rachel Carson-obsessed insomniac instantly becomes a local curiosity. When he later finds a rare deepwater fish in the tidal waters near his home, and saves a dog from drowning, he is hailed as a prophet. The media hovers and everyone wants to hear what Miles has to say. But Miles is really just a teenager on the verge of growing up, infatuated with the girl next door, worried that his bickering parents will divorce, and fearful that everything, even the bay he loves, is shifting from him. While the sea continues to offer up discoveries from its mysterious depths, Miles struggles to deal with the difficulties that attend the equally mysterious process of growing up. In this unforgettable, beguiling novel, we witness the dramatic sea change for both Miles and the coastline that he adores over the course of a summerone that will culminate with the highest tide in fifty years.

Customer Reviews:

Moving literary drama about growing up and ocean wonders.......2007-09-23

I'm still reeling from the glorious images of the ocean that Jim Lynch put in my head with his prose. It made the ocean come alive for me, filled me with more wonder than I've had in a long time.

Miles O'Malley, the protagonist, lives right by the mudflats of Puget Sound, and because he cares enough to pay attention, he finds wonderful things like a dying giant squid, a ragfish, geoducks, sea cucumbers, and glowing, mating worms. And because he reads plenty, he knows these creatures well enough to perform the cheeky but harmless art of revenge of placing a sea cucumber in his friend's arms so that it vomits its internal organs onto the poor fellow's head. Change is rife in Miles' life. He's on the brink of a growth spurt, he's in love with his former babysitter and wonders if she'll ever feel the same way, and he's witnessing the crumbling of his parents' marriage. How do you know he wants his parents to stay together? After his parents realize how gifted he is, they want to reward him, but Miles asks only for them to stay together, even though in his boyish heart, he's always longed for a dog.

Miles is a huge fan of Rachel Carson, and after reading the passages that he quotes, I've become one too. Carson describes the oceans and its life in the language of a poet's dream. And as Miles says, she sums up "the entire history and role of the ocean in two sentences: 'In its mysterious past it encompasses all the dim origins of life and receives in the end, after, it may be, many transmutations, the dead husks of that same life. For all at last return to the sea - to Oceanus, the ocean river, like the ever-flowing stream of time, the beginning and the end.'"

Great read!.......2007-09-06

This is a wonderfully written coming-of-age story. Lynch's characters are memorable and engaging and the setting is magical.

The Highest Tide.......2007-08-28

This is a very interesting, heartwarming story that was very entertaining in a "restful" and absorbing way. I had read it before ordering it from Amazon to send to a friend, who also enjoyed it immensely and said he listened to only small passages at a time to "make it last."

Fun and mystery in the puget Sound.......2007-08-21

I really liked this book. I am a huge fan of young adult novels and marine biology, so I was very excited to read this and was not disappointed. I felt like it captured the spirit of the Pacific Northwest well, and have recommended it to others, lent my copy to friends, AND given it as a present to several people.

Just OK.......2007-08-10

As an aspiring marine biologist I was attracted to this book based on the description. A kid named Miles explores the Puget Sound at low tide at night. He finds a giant squid and everyone makes a big deal about Miles. The things that happened after he found that squid and another strange fish that washed up did not seem realistic and made the book seem silly.

There were a lot of dirty parts in the book that were not needed to bring the story forward. Most kids age 13 would not call a dirty chat line and ask questions like that.

I am going to look up the books by Rachel Carson who was mentioned a least 20 times in the book. The author takes most of the marine life information from her writings.

Book Description

Elsa Anders's dream of marrying Peder Ramstad is about to come true. But as this independent, strong-willed woman discovers her own creative gifts--a love for travel, painting, and the sea--can she find happiness with a captain who insists upon leaving her safely on shore?

Leaving their home in Norway behind, Elsa and Peder embark on a new life in with their closest friends, including: Kaatje Jansen, a woman seeking a new beginning for the sake of her marriage and for the child growing within her; Elsa's sister Tora, a sly young vixen who knows exactly what she wants--and exactly how to get it; and Karl Martensen, a man torn between his friendship for Peder and a forbidden, secret love for Elsa, a man tormented by emotions that threaten to ruin them all.

From the gentle hills of Bergen, Norway, to the rocky coast of Camden, Maine, and across the crashing, danger-filled waves of the open sea--experience an epic saga of perseverance and passion, faith and fidelity, in the Northern Lights series: the new historical series by Lisa Tawn Bergren.

Customer Reviews:

Great read -- ready for the next book in the series!.......2006-08-28

Although Bergren writes in a Christian context, this is by no means a trite "message story." The characters are deeply, richly written, frequently flawed and floundering. They (and the reader) are caught up in the circumstances of the story, each leading naturally to the next situation. In the end, the story is resolved, with enough questions and concern for the characters to invite the reader to move on to the next book. Believers and non-believers will easily become absorbed in the lives of Elsa, Peder and their friends and family.

I rate books as follows:
***** Fun and meaningful book, or changed/challenged me in a positive way.
****Really fun or meaningful; well worth the time.
***Pleasantly skimmed the surface; not memorable.
**Plodded through.
*Abandoned; very flawed.

Great Series - (4,5 stars).......2005-07-06

A Delightful read with an excellent plot and loving characters.
I found myself completely entertained with this novel.

A great novel!.......2001-11-12

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

well written but leaves you hanging.......2000-11-09

This book is definitely written well and a good read. However, after reading 380 pages, only 2 characters were left in a good situation. The other three were either in danger, abandoned, or unsure of the future when the book ended. It's like being left hanging at the commercial except that I've gone to the trouble of reading 300 pages to only be left hanging. Also these three characters had their problems from the beginning of the book and hardly anything had changed for them after 300 pages!! Ridiculous!! I think the author just wants to keep us hooked so we'll read the rest of the series.

What a wonderful Norwegian Tale!.......2000-05-08

I have read books written by Lisa before and enjoyed them but this book surpases them by far. I love the Norwegian history and the language, as it is my own heritage and it reminds me of my Great Grandmother. The tale of the Norwegian immigrants tells the story of more than one family and covers so many difficulties and hardships that the immigrants and so many families faced then and now. The characters come to life and are so intwined with each other, but still each have there own stories. I so appreciate the way the characters rely on God, but are still real people with the tempatations that we face. The learn that God's way is best, but not always the first time. I felt encouraged as I read the book. What a wonderful way to spend a lazy weekend. Thanks for the wonderful new style of writing that you have started in this book, Lisa. The history is great and I can't wait to read the next book.

Average customer rating:

A Sub-Par Hackneyed Romance
This was a compelling romance

Captain's Bride
Kat Martin
Manufacturer: Diamond Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1557733821

Customer Reviews:

A Sub-Par Hackneyed Romance.......2003-06-03

I usually write reviews only for books I like, but I feel obligated to warn readers away from this disappointing novel.

A beautiful Southern Belle meets her father's Ship Captain friend. Obviously the Captain is handsome, capable of charm, a rogue with a horrible reputation...& also much younger than her father. Daughter & friend are attracted to each other, but he thinks she is spoiled. When she proves that she is more than eye candy, (but not much more), he distances from her because he doesn't want to seduce his friend's daughter...nor does he want to get married. Commitment is so hard. Then the Belle & the Captain bicker a lot. Most of the book is about their bickering & misunderstandings. This constant arguing, (nothing interesting - no repartee here), does not build sexual tension...it just builds boredom.

Anyway, due to unfortunate, (but not original), circumstances, the Belle runs away from home with her half-brother, who is part Negro slave. They seek refuge on the Captain's ship. She lies about the reasons they have run away. More bickering...then a shipwreck...a desert island, a seduction & a hold on bickering for awhile. However, the sex is less interesting than the bickering. Then a rescue, a major misunderstanding that leads Sir Captain to rape Ms. Belle & behave sadistically for about 100 pages. I had to stop reading after this. I will say that no matter what this rude, boorish man does, he never completely alienates the Belle - which says a lot about her IQ & emotional stability.

I love a good, sexy romance & can certainly get into some alpha male, dominant behavior - but please do not bore me with formulaic plots & dialogue & super shallow characters. Kat Martin loses with this one. Thumbs down!

This was a compelling romance.......1998-05-16

This is a truly unique novel by Kat Martin. If you ever get your hands on it (as it is out of print), GET IT. You won't be sorry.

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A Beautiful Telling
Ahab's Bride
...the prelude to Herman Melville's Moby Dick...
A whole new side of Captain Ahab
Gouge creates a luminous love story

Ahab's Bride: Book One of Ahab's Legacy
Louise M. Gouge
Manufacturer: Cook Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1589190076

Book Description

Before Captain Ahab encountered Moby Dick, he met the woman who would capture his heart--Hannah Oldweiler. This voyage back to 19th Century Nantucket completes the portrait of the man who ruled the sea with an iron will, and introduces to the woman who had a spirit and determination to match.

When Ahab becomes obsessed with settling a score with the great whale, Hannah is left alone to raise their son and to oversee her husband's estate. Waiting and praying for his safe return, Hannah is faced with loneliness--a deep longing in her soul that not even her husband can meet. Will Hannah become as independent as Ahab? Will she take her future into her own hands? Who will fill the emptiness in her heart?

Click Here to Meet the Author

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful Telling .......2006-07-03

Louise Gouge's telling of Ahab's Bride's story is beautifully wrought. The tone is consistent throughout the book, so much so that I was captivated by the time period. She does a lovely job of capturing Ahab's obsession, his penchance for pushing away anyone who longed to have deep ties with him--all in all a great character study of pride and its destructiveness both to the person who is prideful and the person living near the pride-filled one.

I normally don't read historical fiction, but I greatly enjoyed this book.

Ahab's Bride.......2005-09-16

Ahab's Bride is captivating. Although I am not easily hooked into a novel, I was hooked almost before I could take a breath. I could hardly put the book down until I was finished.

From the first paragraph the reader is transported back in time to 19th century Nantucket into the world of Moby Dick's Captain Ahab and the woman who falls love with him. With an impeccable depiction of the period, Louise M. Gouge walks us through the dusty streets of two whaling communities and into the lives of these fictional, but realistic characters.

Hannah Rose, the viewpoint characer, is a woman who transcends time, a woman we easily identify with, a strong woman who goes after her dreams and faces life with honesty and courage, somewhat reminiscent of Ida in Cold Mountain.

Meanwhile, the person of Captain Ahab, as seen through the eyes of love, takes on new and intriguing dimensions which make you want to brush off your copy of Moby Dick and read it all over again.

...the prelude to Herman Melville's Moby Dick..........2005-05-20

As the prelude to Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Louise M. Gouge's Ahab's Bride stirs a reader's desire to read the classic novel. Gouge's handling of the text is well done, her characters jump from the page, and the narrative fills in the blanks concerning the life of literature's mightiest whaler, Captain Ahab.

Hannah Oldweiler is drawn to Captain Ahab from their first meeting, as he is to her. They marry, much to the disappointment of both Hannah's father and her young suitor, Jeremiah Harris, both of whom worry for her spiritual welfare.

It does not take long for Hannah to realize that her marriage to Ahab will have no effect on his vocation, as he continues to disappear on the interminable whaling ventures, leaving her to care for the estate. At the conclusion of one of these voyages, Ahab returns with a wooden leg, lost in a struggle with a giant white whale, and becomes consumed with revenge.

Taking second place to Ahab's grudge match, Hannah and her small son are left to face life alone. How will Hannah learn the lessons life is offering her and how long will it take before she turns back to God in her loneliness and confusion?

Craig Hart (...)

A whole new side of Captain Ahab.......2005-05-02

Louise Gouge does a terrific job of showing us the real Ahab, both his obsession with the White Whale and his more personal life when on land. Great story.

Gouge creates a luminous love story.......2004-09-14

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.

Average customer rating:

Didn't enjoy it
Good
A book that manages to be both funny & poignant
The queen of colonial romances has another winner

The Captain's Bride
Miranda Jarrett
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671003399

Book Description

While trading in London, American sea captain Joshua Fairbourne takes on the heart's business as well: he seeks a soft-spoken, genteel wife to bring honor and elegance to his Massachusetts home. Miss Anabelle Crosbie may be English gentry, but her headstrong, refreshingly spirited ways turn Joshua's vision of the ideal lady-wife upside down. When he learns she has been promised to a foppish fortune hunter, Joshua vows to win her -- and contrives a daring plan to make her his stolen bride.

Caught kissing Joashua Fairbourne, Anabelle risks scandal to discover a genuine, heartfelt passion, so unlike the loveless betrothal she faces. Then Joshua unexpectedly sweeps her away on an ocean crossing aboard his magnificent ship, the Swiftsure, and their exciting life together begins. But the kind, gentle man she adored on dry land has become a brash, gruff stranger at sea. And just as Anabelle navigates among the secrets of her captain's past, a treacherous storm tests the strength of their newfound love -- and Anabelle's dream of a triumphant life in a new land.

Customer Reviews:

Didn't enjoy it.......2003-05-14

I was so disappointed in this one; I had heard wonderful things about MJ so I was expecting so much more. After the first couple of chapters I skimmed thru twice as much as I read. The heroine was suppose to be young & naive; what I got was an airheaded nit-wit... an annoying one at that! I can't even imagine a man putting up with her nonsensical rambling, much less falling in love with her. The hero was probably suppose to be the brooding type - it went a little over-board to me.... hardly no personality.
Well, I have heard good things about MJ, so I'm going to give one of her more recent books a try.

Good.......1999-07-02

I liked this but it was not quite as good as I was expecting. I loved Joshua but thought Annabelle was harder to like. I got kind of tired of he la's. I also thought there would be more to the chase and rescue. But I have the next book and I am ready to read!

A book that manages to be both funny & poignant.......1999-04-24

I loved this book. The heroine was funny without being stupid, and the hero was great, a real to-die-for guy. The story feels kind of like a regency, though with a lot more "high seas" adventure and a lot hotter romance. I bought this book because it's supposed to take place in Massachusetts, and part of it does, though not till later. But that was OK. This was the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last.

The queen of colonial romances has another winner.......1997-06-13

In 1720 London, sea captain Joshua Fairbourne decides to return to his home in the MassachusettsColony with a spouse. His criteria for a wife requires her to be a refined, gentle lady, who will adornhis home. He has found the perfect prospect until he meets Annabelle Crosbie, an obstinate, independent fireball. .....Joshua resolves to marry Annabelle, who is already engaged to wed a fortune hunter. Joshua convinces Annabelle to sails across the ocean with him. On the high seas, both are in for a shock because neither seem to behave the same on the ship as they did on land. Still, the couple has fallen in love with each other. Now all they have to do is survive a nasty Atlantic storm and her fiance who has given chase if they are to enjoy a lifetime of happiness together in the colonies. ......Miranda Jarrett is the admiral of the historical sailing romance and her latest novel, THE CAPTAIN'S BRIDE, is at her usual level of excellence. The story line is superb and filled with non-stop action and the lead protagonists are a delightful, intrepid couple. The surprise ending is simply a pleasure to read. Another great tale that is on an even keel with the top of the Sparhawk series .....Harriet Klausner

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Bride for a Captain
Flora Kidd
Manufacturer: Harlequin Mills & Boon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A Bride's Passage: Susan Hathorn's Year Under Sail

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A Diary of the Year 1855

A Bride's Passage: Susan Hathorn's Year Under Sail
Catherine Petroski
Manufacturer: Northeastern
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Amazon.com

In 1855, Susan Hathorn set sail with her new husband Jode, captain of a three-masted cargo ship. She recorded their trip from Philadelphia to Savannah, Georgia, and on to Cuba and London in a diary. En route, the beauties of a moon rising over Cuban mountains, shipboard duties, and the pleasures of socializing with other seafarers are interspersed with reports of sea squalls, bedbugs, and a too-lively crew. "Strange doings in the galley," she notes amusingly. "Stewardess drunk as a beast--thinks her husband so--had a regular fight." Her diary entries are knit together by Catherine Petroski's sometimes dry, but often enriching comments on sea life, shipping, and Hathorn's background.

Book Description

This captivating portrait of a 19th-century Maine seafaring woman is based on the diary kept by Susan Hathorn during her first year of marriage, which she spent aboard the barque of her sea-captain husband. Excerpts from the journal, combined with contextualizing commentary by Catherine Petroski, create a vivid picture of daily life and social mores in the age of sail.

Customer Reviews:

A Diary of the Year 1855.......1998-06-15

Susan Hathorn speaks for herself through her diary, but Ms. Petroski provides background and insightful comments that explain some of Susan's more obscure references. Newly married, Susan accompanied her husband on his ship to England and the West Indies. She kept this diary for the whole year of 1855 while she was on the ship and then when she was left behind in their hometown in Maine because she was expecting a baby. I found it absolutely fascinating although a lot of Susan's time was spent at mundane tasks. Susan sure had a thing for sewing! I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in the lives of women in the 19th century.

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Captain's Bride
Maurice Clark
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OL88MM

Average customer rating:

Great book- I hope there is a sequel!!

The Captain's Bride
Sara Blayne
Manufacturer: eReads.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0759258902

Download Description

A ravishing beauty with an irresistible air of innocence, Lady Violet Rochelle has no end of worthy suitors-not one of whom interests her in the slightest. For though seemingly demure, she harbors a secret yearning for adventure.and for a lover who is anything but proper. Captain Trevor Dane, lately of the King's navy, is a man known for his daring exploits and his victories in battle. But when, on a furtive mission of his own, he breaks into Violet's bedchamber and impudently avails himself of her kisses, he unleashes a passion that will soon seal both of their fates. Shadowed by intrigue and unrelenting danger, the last thing Dane needs is to be saddled with a wife. Yet when Violet vows to marry him, not to save her own reputation, but to save his, Dane finds himself up against a most formidable--and disarming--opponent: a raven-haired temptress who will not be denied! And now, as rumors swirl amid the ton that Dane is the elusive agent Le Corbeau, Violet sets out to show the world that they have the wrong man.making her a target of his implacable enemies, and leaving Dane desperately searching for a way to keep his lady wife safe.and safely in his arms.

Customer Reviews:

Great book- I hope there is a sequel!!.......2004-03-17

This was a great story. Great heroine...well developed characters. Sara Blayne tends to be a little "wordy" but once the story got rolling I couldn't put it down. (I hope the next book is about the Marquis of Vere.)

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Captain's Bride, General's Lady
Maruine Clark
Manufacturer: McGraw Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NP99V8

Captain's Bride, General's Lady: The Memoirs of Mrs. Mark W. Clark

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Captain's Bride, General's Lady: The Memoirs of Mrs. Mark W. Clark
Maurine Clark
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQIL3Y

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