First published 2000
In 1819, the whaling ship Essex sets sail from Nantucket, bound for the Pacific. But their routine voyage turns to terror when a monstrous sperm whale rams and sinks their vessel, stranding the crew thousands of miles from land. Forced to survive on the open ocean with dwindling supplies, the men must make unthinkable choices to stay alive. This true story of man versus nature inspired Herman Melville's classic Moby Dick, and is a gripping tale of the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, non-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: man-vs-nature, survival
Setting: Pacific Ocean, Massachusetts, Nantucket Island
320 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books