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INTRODUCTION

This epic historical novel follows the true story of one remarkable heroine, Mary Patten, who found herself in one of the most dangerous straits of sea in the Western Hemisphere, Cape Horn, with a ship of mutinous sailors to command and a deathly sick husband, her captain, to care for.

Mary's story begins in July 1856 in the heyday of the great clipper ships. Her husband, Captain Joshua Patten, is hired to navigate Neptune's Car on a treacherous voyage from New York to San Francisco—in record time.

Dark signs mark the trip early on. The first mate shows traces of treason that soon erupt into a plot of mutiny. Upon reaching the equator, the captain falls ill. With no other choice, Mary takes command of the ship. Her command reigns throughout not only the most treacherous passage, Cape Horn, but during the most devastating weather the region has experienced in years. Having learned to navigate on a previous voyage with her husband, she now must utilize all her skills as she demands respect from an unstable crew, nurses her husband day and night, keeps the mutinous first mate at bay, and learns that as she becomes a captain, she will also become a mother.

Doug Kelley has crafted a brilliant novel that uses the little-known facts about her life to tell a gripping tale of deception, danger, and treachery on the high seas. In a world of discovery when adventurous sea captains ruled the seas, Mary Patten became much more than a captain's wife.

ABOUT DOUGLAS KELLEY

A native of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Douglas Kelley now makes his home just across the Oklahoma state line. From this landlocked base, a profession as a corporate pilot facilitated his travels to research this book of the sea. The Captain's Wife is his first novel.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Central to the story of The Captain's Wife is the relationship between Joshua and Mary Patten. In what ways are the two similar? What are their differences? What do you think makes their relationship work?
   

2. Given that Mary spent most of her last voyage seasick, why would she want to go on the trip chronicled in The Captain's Wife? Is it because she is a young wife who wants to be close to her new husband, because going to sea sets her free from the some of the societal norms expected of her (ie, while at sea Mary does not have to wear the hoops in her skirt that she finds so uncomfortable), or some combination of these reasons that find Mary on the Neptune's Car?
   

3. Why does Wiley encourage Joshua Patten to take on Keeler as his first mate? Is it simply because he needs the ship to sail on time, or does he have some other motive for wanting Keeler on board the Neptune's Car?
   

4. At a time in history where women were thought to be less than equal to men (nearly 70 years before the Nineteenth Ammendment would give women the right to vote), Mary Patten surely must have been frustrated by the limitations imposed on her by society. Does her husband also limit, or try to limit, Mary's actions and interests?
   

5. From the first chapters of the novel, Mary and Joshua appear to be very much in love. Do you feel that Joshua knows Mary's inner strengths or rather, does he see her merely as a token, charming wife?
   

6. What, do you suppose, are the reasons for Keeler's actions on board the Neptune's Car? Do his motivating intentions change after he learns of Joshua's infirmity?
   

7. How much credit is due Joshua for quelling Keeler's attempted mutiny? Do you think the outcome would have been different had Mary and Hare had to face down Keeler alone?
   

8. Fairly given or not, sailors of the era depicted in this novel do not enjoy a historical reputation as the most seemly group of individuals. With this in mind, is it surprising that the majority of the crew follows her lead? Why do they follow Mary's orders?
   

9. How would you define the relationship forged between Mary Patten and second mate Timothy Hare? Does this relationship change over the course of the novel, and if so, how?
   

10. Regardless of whether or not she feels she identifies with members of the budding women's movement, is Mary Patten a feminist? Why or why not?