Voyage of Patience Goodspeed » (Reprint)

New England born and bred, Heather Vogel Frederick is the descendant of seafaring folk from Nantucket to Nova Scotia. Lore from their sailing past fascinated her, and ultimately inspired her to write this novel. A journalist for twenty years, she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and her two sons.

October 1835. Patience Goodspeed, almost thirteen years old, departs from Nantucket aboard her father's whaling ship. Between kitchen duty and whale blubber stench, this voyage is far from a pleasure cruise. At least Papa lets Patience assist the ship's navigator since she's so good at calculations.

But the smooth sailing doesn't last long. Mutinous mates maroon most of the crew, including Patience's father and brother, on a deserted island. Can Patience rescue everyone before it's too late?

Publishers Weekly

"With the clever, nearly 13-year-old narrator, Patience, at the helm, this fast-paced debut novel successfully steers through a whaling expedition and mutinous uprising," said PW. Ages 8-12. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.