Synopsis
A fictional account of Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the New World is related from the viewpoint of his wife, Felipa Moniz e Perestrello
Reviews
To the controversy surrounding Columbus and his alleged "discovery" of America, nonfiction writer (The Cousteau Almanac), explorer and first-time novelist DiPerna adds her two cents: No, Columbus didn't discover America; Mrs. Columbus did. Such is the premise of this engaging historical story written in the form of journals kept by Felipa Columbus, wife of "the Admiral" (as he is referred to by his spouse and crew). Felipa, who met and married Columbus while she was waiting to take orders in a Portuguese convent, is utterly devoted to him; even in the privacy of her own journal, she strives to protect his clearly monstrous ego. Still, it is evident that Felipa's imagination, native intelligence and strength of character contribute immeasurably to the success of their New World "Enterprise," her term for their voyage. These qualities also inform her lively narrative, which, despite a few anachronisms-Felipa seems too much the modern liberal feminist for a woman of the 15th century-transports the reader with its descriptions of the intrigues necessary to mount the Enterprise, the travails and excitements of shipboard life and the intimate details of her lonely marriage. Occasionally, DiPerna gets carried away by historical detail. It is charming to learn that 15th-century sailors bathed by tying themselves to planks to be dipped in seawater, but page upon page of descriptions of palace decor do not charm or hold our interest. Nonetheless, DiPerna has imagined a notable character with a remarkable story to tell.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
It is doubtful whether there actually was a woman on board Christopher Columbus's fabled fleet, but Mrs. Christopher Columbus, poetic wife of the Italian navigator, here gets to go along for the ride. The grandiloquent Dona Felipa Moniz de Perestrello seems much too refined a character to brave the briny deep with a boatload of testosterone-driven sailors. Yet this is the premise of DiPerna's first novel as narrator Felipa takes the reader on a genteel tour of 15th-century Portugal, an exotic Canary Island called Gomera (where she is greeted by a woman governor who is actually Christopher's secret paramour), and, much later, a weed-strewn expanse of ocean before the discovery of San Salvador in 1492 and an island full of naked and allegedly happy Indians. Along the way, we learn that Felipa was something of a closet feminist in the hillside convent above her native Lisbon where she was raised, learning how to read and write without much help from the nuns before ``The Admiral'' notices her during one of his visits to attend mass. The high-profile couple first sets up housekeeping on the little Portuguese island of Porto Santo, which Felipa's late father had discovered in 1418. We also learn that the Great Man- -whom Felipa calls ``my husband'' with annoying frequency--is an inadequate lover, not exactly a shocker. In addition to the stilted dialogue, there is some astonishingly insensitive ethnic language here related to the slave trade--and the writing's not good enough, the story not deep enough, to chalk this up to historical context. The actual sailing adventures gather steam late in the game when Felipa has a passionate affair with the captain of the Pinta, and even he sounds like a talking head. It's a good idea--the discovery of the New World seen from the point of view of a woman in the premodern 15th century--that deserves more sensitive exploration. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
This first novel combines historical and scientific fact with a fictional, behind-the-scenes look at what might have been had there been a woman on Columbus's voyages. Christopher Columbus's wife, Felipa Moniz Perestrello, died in approximately 1484. If she had lived, this is the diary she might have kept while traveling with her husband to the New World. The novel portrays Felipa as a jealous, passionate, and adventurous woman. DiPerna has come up with a great idea, and, despite a slow start, her narrative proves well written and engrossing. The author, a vice president of the Cousteau Society, is a seasoned traveler and well qualified to write about adventure and exploration. Recommended for most collections, especially women's studies collections.
Lisa J. Cochenet, Winfield P.L., Ill.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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