num_pages: 416
description: "A luminous work of historical fiction that explores the far reaches of the Arctic and of men's souls." ― Denver Post Capturing a crucial moment in the history of exploration―the mid-nineteenth century romance with the Arctic―Andrea Barrett's compelling novel tells the story of a fateful expedition. Through the eyes of the ship's scholar-naturalist, Erasmus Darwin Wells, we encounter the Narwhal 's crew, its commander, and the far-north culture of the Esquimaux. In counterpoint, we meet the women left behind in Philadelphia, explorers only in imagination. Together, those who travel and those who stay weave a web of myth and mystery, finally discovering what they had not sought, the secrets of their own hearts. 16 steel engravings and one map
language: English
title: The Voyage of the Narwhal
titlecomplete: The Voyage of the Narwhal
genres: Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Literature, Novels, Travel, Adult Fiction, 19th Century, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
ratings_count: 3251
awards: awardedAt: 915177600000
name: Orange Prize
category: Fiction Longlist
publisher: W. W. Norton & Company