The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed - Hardcover

Frederick, Heather Vogel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068984851X ISBN 13: 9780689848513

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2002

Synopsis

While on a three-year voyage with her brother and whaling captain father in 1835, Patience Goodspeed finds herself bored with her role as cook's apprentice, but when a strange man sets sail with them, things take a turn for the worse and soon Patience must play captain in order to save the lives of those she loves.

About this title

About the Author

Heather vogel Frederick uses rich prose, a fresh accessible plot, and a captivating crew of characters to spirit readers off on a journey whirling with suspense and adventure.

Reviews

Grade 5-7 After the death of their mother, Patience and her younger brother, Tad, are taken by their captain father aboard his whaling ship for a three-year journey. At first, Patience desperately misses her Nantucket home, but she slowly grows accustomed to life at sea. The 12-year-old isn't thrilled to be confined to menial housekeeping chores, but after she is the first person to spot a whale, her father teaches her to use navigation equipment. When the ship is later threatened with sabotage by mutinous sailors, the girl must put her newfound skills and confidence to the test. Patience is a fully fleshed-out character, with layers of strength, intelligence, courage, and resourcefulness. She is also seeking approval from her father and anxious about her role on the ship and in life. Readers get a good sense of conditions aboard a whaler in 1835 and what daily life entailed. Nautical terms are included, but are not too technical and are woven throughout the text smoothly enough to glean the meaning (a glossary is included). The flow and pace of the novel are breezy enough to hold reader interest. Overall, a delightful journey with an appealing, well-rounded character. -Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

With the clever, nearly 13-year-old narrator, Patience, at the helm, this fast-paced debut novel successfully steers through a whaling expedition and mutinous uprising. Though Patience would rather honor her recently deceased Mama's plan that she study mathematics at home on Nantucket, her captain father insists she and her six-year-old brother, Thaddeus (Tad), accompany him on his whaling ship. However, once aboard the Morning Star, her father initially dismisses her interest in navigation until she proves herself in her lessons (she also demonstrates her talents in the galley the author includes two favorite recipes). Frederick spices up the journey with an eclectic cast and crew, including Glum the dour cook, two thugs Patience nicknames Bunion and Toad, and a traitor named Bridgewater whom she dubs Bilgewater. She also weaves into the plot atmospheric details about whaling, the layout of the ship and navigational instruments, and supplements her research with facts about infamous whaling vessels such as the Essex and insider terms that kids will eat up, such as "Nantucket sleigh ride" the whalers' name for the breakneck chase after the prey. Patience also keeps a diary, which in some instances offers a slightly revised rehash of events but, for the most part, complements the text. Though readers will enjoy the whaling adventure, the brave heroine makes this historical adventure most memorable. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-6. The title refers to a girl's name rather than the name of a ship in this tale of two children brought on a whaling voyage by their widower father, a ship's captain. Twelve-year-old Patience isn't nearly as enthusiastic about the trip as her younger brother, Thaddeus; she would rather remain on Nantucket, near her mother's memory, and continue her studies. Once aboard, however, Patience finds her place among the crew and eventually persuades her father to utilize her prodigious mathematical talent and teach her to navigate, which comes in handy after a mutiny that leaves the captain and Thaddeus marooned. Portrayals of the personalities and activities on board are well done, providing a firsthand look at the challenges of whale-hunting trips that lasted for years. Readers will sympathize with Patience's pull between her longing for home and her desire to forge a deeper relationship with her father by adjusting to life at sea. The successful rescue that tests Patience's novice navigational skills is not particularly realistic, but this is still a voyage readers will be glad to make. Diane Foote
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 068984851X
• ISBN 13: 9780689848513
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 219