Daughters of Nantucket

A Novel

By: Julie Gerstenblatt

Narrated by: Keylor Leigh

“Gerstenblatt's distinctive tale, a triumph in storytelling, celebrates the courage and tenacity of women.” —Booklist, starred review

Set against Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846, this sweeping, emotional novel brings together three courageous women battling to save everything they hold dear…

Nantucket in 1846 is an island set apart not just by its geography but by its unique circumstances. With their menfolk away at sea, often for years at a time, women here know a rare independence—and the challenges that go with it.

Eliza Macy is struggling to conceal her financial trouble as she waits for her whaling captain husband to return from a voyage. In desperation, she turns against her progressive ideals and targets Meg Wright, a pregnant free Black woman trying to relocate her store to Main Street. Meanwhile, astronomer Maria Mitchell loves running Nantucket’s Atheneum and spending her nights observing the stars, yet she fears revealing the secret wishes of her heart.

On a sweltering July night, a massive fire breaks out in town, quickly kindled by the densely packed wooden buildings. With everything they possess now threatened, these three very different women are forced to reevaluate their priorities and decide what to save, what to let go and what kind of life to rebuild from the ashes of the past.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

"A memorable story of friendship and courage." —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris

Great story

I liked reading about Mariah Mitchell and Eliza Macy and the addition of the character Meg. I feel like it’s about time we tell stories (fiction and non-fiction) in as truthful a manner possible. This one scored big in that area! Well done.

Wonderful historical fiction

I really liked the story surrounding the fire that happened and also the social history and the dynamics of what may have been going on in the town at that time.

Island life in the 1800s

I read this with no backstory or what I was getting into! I fell into their world thinks to this lovely author and my only wish was that we could stay a bit longer in their life!

Very Good

Good story. Good characters. Good narration. I would recommend this book ( audio ) to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Excellent historical fiction read well

Yes! I loved this. Historical fiction set on Nantucket in 1846. Socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion, and race, as well as duty and love and passion, all presented in a believable context. Story is compelling and it is incredibly well read by the narrator.