Phoebe's Light

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Quaker Fiction/Historical Romance
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"Not today. I will not worry today."

Phoebe Starbuck has always taken care of her father--worrying enough for both of them, as he chases one whim after another. Now, for the first time, she's doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, she takes two gifts from 

her father, but desires only one: her great-grandmother's journal. The second gift? A "minder" in the form of cooper Matthew Mitchell, a man she loathes.

Phoebe soon discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary's journal and finds a secret that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially the captain and the cooper. 

Sail away with expert navigator Suzanne Woods Fisher, who confidently explores the sometimes treacherous shores of Quaker life on the storied Nantucket Island.​

Reviewer: Mindy Houng


“Matthew, one more thing I ask of thee. Walk in the Light of God.” Bewildered, he blurted out. “How do I walk in the light when I only see darkness?” She gave him a soft smile before her eyes fluttered shut. “Then trust God in the dark.”

I don’t normally read Quaker-themed books (nor Amish-themed books, for which the author is well-known) and this is the first book by Suzanne Woods Fisher I’ve read, but now I can understand why she’s such a celebrated and beloved author. This book was indeed a powerfully moving book. The writing was engaging and transported me to Nantucket in 1767 amidst the Quakers. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes and daily activities of the whaling community were all so tangible and real. The plot contained many twists and turns that kept me turning the pages, and the layer of suspense and mystery was just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. As each layer of the plot unfolded, I couldn’t contain the gasps of surprise! The plot, of course, was spearheaded by wonderful and memorable characters who will remain my friends for a long time. The faith aspect of the storyline was incredibly well-crafted and flowed naturally with the characters and their personalities. And there was quite a bit of unexpected dry humor thrown into the writing, especially through Great Mary’s journal, that had me bursting out laughing at times. 

Phoebe is merely eighteen, an immature child who thinks she knows what she wants out of life and stubbornly persistent in obtaining it. That one goal is to marry an older widower who is Captain Foulger. Phoebe is intelligent, resourceful, full of sparkles and laughter and optimism, and faithful though she is flawed and makes mistakes. The recounting of her conversion story is beautiful and so hopeful. 

Matthew is a barrel maker, trying to climb out of debt that his family incurred after their whaling ship got destroyed and his father and brother were killed. He’s always been cynical and skeptical and has been disowned by the Quaker society due to his insolence. Yet he is loyal and compassionate and smart and kind. His return to God is full of angst, heartbreak, and tears. 

I really enjoyed the dual timeline of sorts that occurred through the reading of Phoebe’s great-grandmother Mary’s journal. What an incredible woman Mary was. 

I am thankful I had the opportunity to read this book, though it’s outside of my usual genre. I learned a lot about the history of Nantucket as well as whaling and about the Quakers. Anyone who enjoys well-written historical fiction will love this book.
 
The author/publisher gave me a copy of this book via Celebrate Lit Tour and NetGalley. I was not required to write a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
“Matthew, one more thing I ask of thee. Walk in the Light of God.” Bewildered, he blurted out. “How do I walk in the light when I only see darkness?” She gave him a soft smile before her eyes fluttered shut. “Then trust God in the dark.”

I don’t normally read Quaker-themed books (nor Amish-themed books, for which the author is well-known) and this is the first book by Suzanne Woods Fisher I’ve read, but now I can understand why she’s such a celebrated and beloved author. This book was indeed a powerfully moving book. The writing was engaging and transported me to Nantucket in 1767 amidst the Quakers. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes and daily activities of the whaling community were all so tangible and real. The plot contained many twists and turns that kept me turning the pages and the layer of suspense and mystery was just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. As each layer of the plot unfolded, I couldn’t contain the gasps of surprise! The plot, of course, was spearheaded by wonderful and memorable characters who will remain my friends for a long time. The faith aspect of the storyline was incredibly well-crafted and flowed naturally with the characters and their personalities. And there was quite a bit of unexpected dry humor thrown into the writing, especially through Great Mary’s journal, that had me bursting out laughing at times. 

Phoebe is merely eighteen, an immature child who thinks she knows what she wants out of life and stubbornly persistent in obtaining it. That one goal is to marry an older widower who is Captain Foulger. Phoebe is intelligent, resourceful, full of sparkles and laughter and optimism, and faithful though she is flawed and makes mistakes. The recounting of her conversion story is beautiful and so hopeful. 
Matthew is a barrel maker, trying to climb out of debt that his family incurred after their whaling ship got destroyed and his father and brother were killed. He’s always been cynical and skeptical and has been disowned by the Quaker society due to his insolence. Yet he is loyal and compassionate and smart and kind. His return to God is full of angst, heartbreak, and tears. 
I really enjoyed the dual timeline of sorts that occurred through the reading of Phoebe’s great-grandmother Mary’s journal. What an incredible woman Mary was. 

I am thankful I had the opportunity to read this book, though it’s outside of my usual genre. I learned a lot about the history of Nantucket as well as whaling and about the Quakers. Anyone who enjoys a well-written historical fiction will love this book. 
I was given a copy of this book by the author/publisher via Celebrate Lit Tour and NetGalley. I was not required to write a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

Where do I begin? Phoebe's Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher drew me in and kept me riveted. I stayed up until 3:00 am just to finish it! I can hardly wait for the second book to come out. But first, let me tell you about this one.

​Phoebe Starbuck is a girl with a mission and no one, not even her father, can keep her from it. She is determined to marry Captain Phineas Foulger, a prosperous whaling ship captain. A man who is way too old for her, but nevertheless, Phoebe is besotted. And wonder of wonders, the Captain seems to be taken with her also. It doesn't matter he has a daughter the same age as her and it doesn't matter that her father thinks it's a bad match. She marries him anyway, not just because she loves the Captain (or thinks she does) but to save her father from jail (more on him in a bit). And to make sure the marriage works, she convinces the Captain to take her on his whaling ship as they begin their married life. That's her second mistake (her first was marrying the Captain, but I'm getting ahead of myself). 

Speaking of her father - wow! What a character! Barnabas is continuously distracted by new ideas that would make him rich. Only they never do, and when Phoebe finds out that he re-mortgaged their home but failed to make payments on it, she does something desperate. She marries the Captain who promises to pay off his debt so that Barnabas won't go to jail.

And then there is Matthew Mitchell. Phoebe was once engaged to him, but then he turned away from God causing Phoebe to break their engagement. After she marries the Captain, Barnabas asks Matthew to go along on the voyage to watch over her, and it's a good thing he does because Captain Foulger is not exactly a good Quaker.

I loved this book! There is so much more to this story - Great Mary's diary with its hidden secret, Matthew's love for Phoebe, another character named Silo - the list goes on.  And the theme of this book - trusting in God and having faith when all seems lost.  Having faith in God means that sometimes you have to wait for answers to prayers. It means listening to your parents when they try to guide you in the right direction and most importantly it means listening to and obeying God when He speaks to you. Unfortunately for Phoebe, she learns the hard way how important those things are.

If you want a book that will sweep you up and take you away, this is the one. Word of warning - you will not be able to put it down so be prepared to stay up late to finish it!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.

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