A gripping novel of love and obsession set in the 1860s, The Sea Captain's Wife masterfully combines truths of the heart with the sweep of adventure - and takes us on an unforgettable voyage amidst breathtaking beauty.

Azuba Galloway, daughter of a shipwright, sees ships leaving for foreign ports from her bustling town on the Bay of Fundy and dreams of seeing the world. When she marries Nathaniel Bradstock, a veteran sea captain, she believes she will sail at his side. But when she becomes pregnant she is forced to stay behind. Her father has built the couple a gabled house overlooking the bay, but the gift cannot shelter her from the loneliness of living without her husband. When Azuba becomes embroiled in scandal, Nathaniel is forced to take her and their daughter, Carrie, aboard his ship. They set sail for London with bitter hearts.

Their voyage is ill-fated, beset with ferocious storms and unforeseen obstacles that test Azuba's compassion, courage, and love. Alone in a male world, surrounded by the splendour and the terror of the open seas, she must face her fears and fight to keep her family together.

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“In history and in literature, the sea has always been the realm of men, but Beth Powning reminds us that women were there, too. The Sea Captain’s Wife is both a brilliant and absorbing story of a singular woman’s courageous entry into this alien world and of her growing sense of self-knowledge and strength as she encounters its demands. It is a tale of adventure and adversity, and of the terrors and deep satisfactions of life on the ever-dangerous and unpredictable sea.”
— Derek Lundy, author of Godforsaken Sea and The Way of a Ship

"An exciting story. The Sea Captain’s Wife reveals Powning to be intuitive and reflective, yet self-assured in her mastery of the art of nature writing. She skillfully weaves both a harrowing and touching story about marriage, obligation, and devotion."
— Winnipeg Free Press

"An ambitious historical novel rich in adventure."
— Telegraph-Journal

"The best novel of 2010. . . . A brilliant, absorbing story. . . . Not since Derek Lundy’s The Way of a Ship have I read such powerful descriptions of life in the Age of Sail. . . . Both [Azuba and Nathaniel] are fully fledged characters. . . . And, much like The Hatbox Letters, Powning’s prose never misses a beat."
— Owen Sound Sun Times

"Beth Powning has the gift of drawing her readers into a work. The characters in The Sea Captain’s Wife are enduringly memorable. Set in the 1800s, Powning paints scenes of sea life and its pains, fears, wonders, joys and tragedies."
— The Coast (Halifax)

"One terrific voyage"
— The Globe and Mail 

"An elegant piece of writing"
— National Post

“The Sea Captain’s Wife is a terrific tale, fast-moving and expertly told, one which measures, in the author’s phrase, ‘the true size of the world.’ Like The Hatbox Letters, Powning’s second cleverly crafted novel is not to be missed.”
 —Ottawa Citizen
 
“Powning has a terrific eye for detail, and her dramatic scenes read like a treatment from an action movie. Equal parts character study, travelogue, and action-adventure tale, The Sea Captain’s Wife is a marvellous read.”
— Edmonton Journal

“Powning is an extraordinary writer. . . . Her people are as real as personal friends, neighbours or compelling strangers. . . . The writing rings true to its period without ever sounding like a device. . . . The book is clearly thoroughly researched, yet never reads as written research but as lives fully and panoramically lived.”
— The Globe and Mail

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"The story and the writing move slowly together from the almost naive simplicity of its opening pages, gradually adding layer upon layer of depth, meaning and complexity as it unfolds, so that by the end it has become an enormously rich, multi-layered experience. Each character is incredibly drawn and developed, and the sea is perhaps the most interesting character of all. I understood for the first time why a ship's captain's primary relationship must be with the sea. I think that relationship was strongly developed throughout the book and rich in what it offers the reader to think about, to muse upon, long after the cover is closed.  It continues to offer me much to ponder and I look forward to my second read."
- Janet H, New Brunswick

"I LOVE THE BOOK! I am so lucky that I caught a cold! I was home yesterday ... sneezing and chilled, but escaped my misery in the pages of your adventure. Not that I wasn't chilled to the bone when Azuba and I drifted by the Antarctic ice flows, and terrified and soaking wet as we rounded the Horn in a real "snorter",  and hot and fevered as we lay in the doldrums! I sailed in my bed around the world with the Traveller, visited exotic ports of call, and even with this stuffy head cold....I still smelt the awful stench of guano. Thank you for rescuing me from a nasty cold. There should be a prescription for it: Take hot tea and honey and go to bed and read The Sea Captain's Wife!"
- Patricia S, New Brunswick

"Beth Powning has written a magnificient book ... often my breath was taken away by her beautiful words and work. I love what is left unsaid about Azuba and Mr. Walton."
- Brigitte C, New Brunswick

 "Oh, can I tell you how much I loved The Sea Captain's Wife! The detail and research that Beth Powning has included is outstanding. I had wonderfully clear pictures of the town, their home, the ship and the ports in my mind as I read. Azuba is a wonderfully drawn character. Bound by the social mores of her time to do the right thing and be a 'good' wife she still yearns for adventure. Powning skillfully explores Azuba's emotions and feelings as she struggles to balance the two in her life. The novel is full of adventure as well - storms, exotic ports and what would the high seas be without pirates? I honestly could not put this one down. A rich tale from an excellent Canadian author. Five stars for me." 
- Luanne O, Ontario

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Visit Beth Powning's website.

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Prologue
 
PART ONE: Whelan’s Cove
1. Noah’s Ark
2. A Family of Sorts
3. Davidson’s Beach
4. Sea Chests
 
PART TWO: Outward Bound
5. Chalk Line
6. Cape Horn Snorter
7. Yellow Dust
8. Moonstones
9. One Man Short
10. Ice Barque
 
PART THREE: The Atlantic
11. A Dead Ship
12. Creature of Barnyards
13. Crazy-Quilt Sails
 
PART FOUR: Antwerp
14. Lace and Diamonds
15. Chameleon
16. Flemish Feathers
 
PART FIVE: Hong Kong Bound
17. Safe Anchorage
18. Like Dragon’s Wings
 
PART SIX: Homeward
19. Rabbit Pie
20. The Orchard
 
Epilogue
Glossary
Acknowledgments

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Beth Powning is the author of several books, including The Hatbox Letters, Edge Seasons, and Shadow Child. She lives in an 1870 farmhouse with extensive gardens in Sussex, New Brunswick, with her husband, artist Peter Powning.

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