100 Pages A Day...Stephanie's Book Reviews

The Story of Land and Sea follows two generations of fathers and daughters and a mother and son. Asa is a small turpentine plantation owner who is raising a young daughter, Helen, by himself.  Helen is strong willed, independent and devout.  For Helen's tenth birthday, she is given a young slave, Moll, Helen and Moll have a push and pull relationship as they grow up together.  Moll is married off young and in short succession gives birth to a son, Davy, who is the only true love of her life.  Helen believes she won't find love, but falls for a former pirate and soldier, John.  John and Helen steal away on a ship where she becomes pregnant.  Years later, John is a single father to a rambunctious ten year old girl, Tabitha.  When Tabitha becomes ill, John believes the sea will be her salvation.  

A moving story of love, loss and moving on set in North Carolina around the time of the American Revolution.  Written with beautiful prose, the effects of death and loss for parents is explored.  This story is not told chronologically, but that doesn't matter.  The story begins with John and Tabitha, the focus is on their relationship.  At first, I thought that I was having a really hard time finding Tabitha's character and relating to her, but then I realized that is not the focus.  I did find it easy to feel John's overwhelming love and devotion to his daughter and the memory of his wife and that he was willing to do whatever necessary for her.  The story then moves to Helen as a young child where her relationship with her father is explored.  Helen and her father's relationship changes as Helen grows and finds her own relationship with John.  This was one of the best parts of the book for me, seeing their relationship grow.  The third part of the book focuses on Asa and John's relationship after they both have dealt with significant loss.  The tension of their dislike for one another is great but their similarities in grief and love for Helen and Tabitha binds them.  Moll and her son Davy are also an important focus, Moll faces a different kind of loss, although significant in her life.  Although, the loss of Davy is definitely one that is bittersweet.  

Set on a Boat for Summer Bookish Bingo: