thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
Travel the journey here: Booktrail of the Sea Maid
A poor woman makes an important scientific discovery in times past but will she be remembered or ridiculed?
From London to the islands of Portugal, this is the story of a woman on the biggest mission of her life
Dawnay’s journey of discovery takes her from the poverty of a London orphanage to the stunning Berlengas archipelago, the island of Minorca and the cool crisp blue waters of the Mediterranean of the 18th century.
Travelling by boat in a time where single women did not travel alone and where travelling in explored territories was risky and dangerous. Her soul is described as a ‘nomadic one which cannot be cured by reading from the Arabian Nights’ like the son of her tutor, Mr Applebee.
This journey is one of discovery, exploration, wonderment, scientific importance and wonderful evocative images of seeing new lands, plants, animals, people and a whole new world.
‘They have slackened my rope and given me a taste of the world beyond my fence. And I will have more of it, mark my words’
From the heartbreaking days in the orphanage to the series of events which sees her boarding a ship to Portugal, I was with Dawnay all the way. Her voice, vision and intelligence puts others to shame and you just know she’s getting to Portugal one was or another
What would have happened had this lady and others like her had not made their discoveries? Would Darwin and other male scientists which followed have been able to do what they did? The author calls her the wrong person at the wrong time of history and that in itself is a sobering thought when reading the novel.
The research is outstanding but never gets in the way of plot. I was there with a notebook wanting to discover things as she did, marvelling at the pictures which formed inside my mind. The historical notes at the back of the books simply added to the overall excitement that this was based on real facts.
The clever weaving of real life historical events, such as the Lisbon earthquake really added to the overall atmosphere and time of the novel.
Quite a discovery!
A poor woman makes an important scientific discovery in times past but will she be remembered or ridiculed?
From London to the islands of Portugal, this is the story of a woman on the biggest mission of her life
Dawnay’s journey of discovery takes her from the poverty of a London orphanage to the stunning Berlengas archipelago, the island of Minorca and the cool crisp blue waters of the Mediterranean of the 18th century.
Travelling by boat in a time where single women did not travel alone and where travelling in explored territories was risky and dangerous. Her soul is described as a ‘nomadic one which cannot be cured by reading from the Arabian Nights’ like the son of her tutor, Mr Applebee.
This journey is one of discovery, exploration, wonderment, scientific importance and wonderful evocative images of seeing new lands, plants, animals, people and a whole new world.
‘They have slackened my rope and given me a taste of the world beyond my fence. And I will have more of it, mark my words’
From the heartbreaking days in the orphanage to the series of events which sees her boarding a ship to Portugal, I was with Dawnay all the way. Her voice, vision and intelligence puts others to shame and you just know she’s getting to Portugal one was or another
What would have happened had this lady and others like her had not made their discoveries? Would Darwin and other male scientists which followed have been able to do what they did? The author calls her the wrong person at the wrong time of history and that in itself is a sobering thought when reading the novel.
The research is outstanding but never gets in the way of plot. I was there with a notebook wanting to discover things as she did, marvelling at the pictures which formed inside my mind. The historical notes at the back of the books simply added to the overall excitement that this was based on real facts.
The clever weaving of real life historical events, such as the Lisbon earthquake really added to the overall atmosphere and time of the novel.
Quite a discovery!
alice_hesse's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
woolfardis's review against another edition
1.0
Goodness this was the most boring and plotless book I've read in such a long while. The beginning was rather intriguing with Dawnay (a nameless street urchin to begin with) losing her brother to press-ganging sailors and finding herself in an orphanage. Sadly, the story continues at a snail's pace as we have to sit and listen to Dawnay telling us about every single little thing she does at the orphanage, most of which could be conveyed in one sentence alone; I felt as if they author was treating me as being a little ignorant at this point. If the book had begun 70 pages in, with the use of flashbacks or conversations to Dawnay's past, perhaps it could have found itself more.
The writing style was also rather cumbersome. I do dislike first person narrative rather intensely, so perhaps this has clouded my judgement slightly, but Dawnay's tone of voice never changes throughout her life, despite it starting when she is approximately three years old. She is always so intelligent and curious and hot-headed, from childhood to adulthood and it never changes. It's also written in an odd sort of present tense, which made it feel too distant for me to really get a grip on the (very slim) happenings. There is an attempt to write in the old style, but I can't help but think it would have been rather beautiful if written in third-person past tense. Having said that, writing is nothing but experimentation and I cannot fault the author for trying. If we did not try where would we be?
I actually found the plot to be eventually quite interesting. However, for only three or so pages was there anything particularly adventurous happening, wherein previously we were simply being relayed certain things and feelings by Dawnay, and none of it worth particularly anything at all. It is simply a following of her life and though there is a possibility of it becoming great, it only ends in something as mundane as her narrative.
The caves that Dawnay finds were thought-provoking, as was the fact that she was determined to be a female scientist in a time when this was utterly (but not completely) unheard of. However, the constant barrage of reminders of how ill-treated women were in this time was so utterly demoralising and Dawnay's inability to even pretend to be an 18th Century woman made the whole book disjointed. I also wish to speak of the ending, because I found it to be utterly infuriating. I lost all respect I may have gained for Dawnay at that point.
The rest of the characters felt only as that: characters for Dawnay to interact with. Without them her life would probably have turned out exactly the same. I cannot fathom the point of the book as, as a historical novel, it barely represents anything extraordinary that we do not already know. As a book for escapism there was little world-building and, although it isn't difficult to imagine the caves and 18th Century England that Dawnay traverses, there is little else to spark the imagination further.
There are some references to books in the comments at the end that helped shape the book and they seemed interesting as further reading, but I cannot find anything else positive to speak of.
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The writing style was also rather cumbersome. I do dislike first person narrative rather intensely, so perhaps this has clouded my judgement slightly, but Dawnay's tone of voice never changes throughout her life, despite it starting when she is approximately three years old. She is always so intelligent and curious and hot-headed, from childhood to adulthood and it never changes. It's also written in an odd sort of present tense, which made it feel too distant for me to really get a grip on the (very slim) happenings. There is an attempt to write in the old style, but I can't help but think it would have been rather beautiful if written in third-person past tense. Having said that, writing is nothing but experimentation and I cannot fault the author for trying. If we did not try where would we be?
I actually found the plot to be eventually quite interesting. However, for only three or so pages was there anything particularly adventurous happening, wherein previously we were simply being relayed certain things and feelings by Dawnay, and none of it worth particularly anything at all. It is simply a following of her life and though there is a possibility of it becoming great, it only ends in something as mundane as her narrative.
The caves that Dawnay finds were thought-provoking, as was the fact that she was determined to be a female scientist in a time when this was utterly (but not completely) unheard of. However, the constant barrage of reminders of how ill-treated women were in this time was so utterly demoralising and Dawnay's inability to even pretend to be an 18th Century woman made the whole book disjointed. I also wish to speak of the ending, because I found it to be utterly infuriating.
Spoiler
Dawnay becomes an accidental mother and a make-shift wife and instead of pursuing her dreams of being perhaps the first female scientist to make an exceptional contribution to the world she retires to a quiet place to work quietly. I find this kind of Feminist approach extremely upsetting, because there is an underlying tone that women are mothers and wives first and everything else second. This is utterly banal and I dislike it intensely: woman are mothers and everything else all at once and the fact that she did not push her findings to be published in her own name (or even under a male pseudonym?) was completely detrimental to the whole tone and point of the novel. All her life Dawnay had been pushing the boundaries set down by men and women as to what women can and cannot do and when the time comes for her to be something exceptional she backs out. I found that to be entirely contradictory and, in a word, pathetic.The rest of the characters felt only as that: characters for Dawnay to interact with. Without them her life would probably have turned out exactly the same. I cannot fathom the point of the book as, as a historical novel, it barely represents anything extraordinary that we do not already know. As a book for escapism there was little world-building and, although it isn't difficult to imagine the caves and 18th Century England that Dawnay traverses, there is little else to spark the imagination further.
There are some references to books in the comments at the end that helped shape the book and they seemed interesting as further reading, but I cannot find anything else positive to speak of.
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micrummey's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting idea about a female scientist ahead of her time, how female biology affects opportunity and postulating Darwinism before Darwin. The protagonist Dawnay is a determined character where war or natural disaster will not stop her. How realistic she is for that time is debatable but without these characteristics the plot would flounder. She does get involved with a Naval Captain and this I wasn't sure about as would he want to be involved with someone below his station?
Certainly worth a read for its originality but there is a nod to Remarkable Creatures as Dawnay collects fossils on an un-named west country Beach.
Certainly worth a read for its originality but there is a nod to Remarkable Creatures as Dawnay collects fossils on an un-named west country Beach.
jpfriday's review against another edition
4.0
"The system of society is weighted against [me] completely. It is me who created this clever woman." I read this with no expectations & was pleasantly surprised! It follows Dawnay Price, an orphan who, through ambition and smarts, becomes a biologist in Victorian England. Mascull crafts the setting expertly, and it's exciting to follow Price as she defies gender conventions and conducts research in the Mediterranean. Though not outstanding, "Song of the Sea Maid" is a solid tale about the scientific pursuit while emphasizing the relentless exclusion of female scientists from history.
meganmagicmusings's review against another edition
5.0
This review can also be found here on my blog.
*I was fortunate to receive an eARC of this book before release via NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton. Thank you!*
Read that description, see that cover, and then tell me you're not interested in this book. I was hooked before I even read the first page, and when I had read the first page, I knew there was no turning back. We are introduced to an orphan, unnamed and happy with her brother, roaming the streets of London. It's the 1700s and the world is full of disease, ruled by religion, and suspicious of anybody interested in 'new' ideas. After a fast-paced introduction, our orphan is now named Dawnay Price and living in a home for children, designed to educate them so they can be send out into the world as apprentices. She is brotherless and scared. For girls in the home, they are to become maids or fulfill other domestic roles, but Dawnay becomes inquisitive, eager to learn to write as well as read, and finds the natural world fascinating. It is a this point our story begins as Dawnay strives to become the natural philosopher her heart, and head, wants her to be.
Song of the Sea Maid is beautifully written. In her endnotes for the novel, Rebecca writes about how she was inspired by and used the style of eighteenth-century prose in her construction of the narrative. She uses '&c' instead of 'etc'. spells 'Menorca' as 'Minorca', and other such period quirks, which I really enjoyed and was surprised I did actually pick up on as I read through the text. Researching the book after reading I also came across a Pinterest board she made whist writing the book, using images of fishing villages, naval battles, and uniforms to help increase the accuracy of her world she harked back to. Fortunately she chose to omit the annoying prose styling of the time of capitalising a huge amount of words in the middle of sentences!
As you can probably tell at this point, I adored this book. Dawnay Price is possibly one of my favourite characters I've ever read and I loved seeing her journey from ignorant (in the sweetest way possible) orphan girl to woman of science. Her story isn't always a happy one, but that's what makes it such a believable tale. I yearned for Dawnay to have her happy ending and to become the natural philosopher that she wanted to be because, by the end, she felt like a friend to me. Her narrative voice was humorous, emotional, rational, strong, and scared all at once, which it was made her feel real to me. I'm very much looking forward to reading Rebecca's debut The Visitors now as her writing was such a comfort to me over the duration of reading this novel.
Song of the Sea Maid is released on June 18th 2015 and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing female character, loves stories set in the depths of nature, or suffers from a bit of wunderlust. You can almost feel the sun shining through the pages. Five stars from me!
*I was fortunate to receive an eARC of this book before release via NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton. Thank you!*
Read that description, see that cover, and then tell me you're not interested in this book. I was hooked before I even read the first page, and when I had read the first page, I knew there was no turning back. We are introduced to an orphan, unnamed and happy with her brother, roaming the streets of London. It's the 1700s and the world is full of disease, ruled by religion, and suspicious of anybody interested in 'new' ideas. After a fast-paced introduction, our orphan is now named Dawnay Price and living in a home for children, designed to educate them so they can be send out into the world as apprentices. She is brotherless and scared. For girls in the home, they are to become maids or fulfill other domestic roles, but Dawnay becomes inquisitive, eager to learn to write as well as read, and finds the natural world fascinating. It is a this point our story begins as Dawnay strives to become the natural philosopher her heart, and head, wants her to be.
Song of the Sea Maid is beautifully written. In her endnotes for the novel, Rebecca writes about how she was inspired by and used the style of eighteenth-century prose in her construction of the narrative. She uses '&c' instead of 'etc'. spells 'Menorca' as 'Minorca', and other such period quirks, which I really enjoyed and was surprised I did actually pick up on as I read through the text. Researching the book after reading I also came across a Pinterest board she made whist writing the book, using images of fishing villages, naval battles, and uniforms to help increase the accuracy of her world she harked back to. Fortunately she chose to omit the annoying prose styling of the time of capitalising a huge amount of words in the middle of sentences!
As you can probably tell at this point, I adored this book. Dawnay Price is possibly one of my favourite characters I've ever read and I loved seeing her journey from ignorant (in the sweetest way possible) orphan girl to woman of science. Her story isn't always a happy one, but that's what makes it such a believable tale. I yearned for Dawnay to have her happy ending and to become the natural philosopher that she wanted to be because, by the end, she felt like a friend to me. Her narrative voice was humorous, emotional, rational, strong, and scared all at once, which it was made her feel real to me. I'm very much looking forward to reading Rebecca's debut The Visitors now as her writing was such a comfort to me over the duration of reading this novel.
Song of the Sea Maid is released on June 18th 2015 and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing female character, loves stories set in the depths of nature, or suffers from a bit of wunderlust. You can almost feel the sun shining through the pages. Five stars from me!
rosienreads's review against another edition
4.0
Science has often been seen as a man’s endeavour, even today there are few women in the more ‘masculine' fields of physics or engineering. But that is nothing compared to science in the 18th century, where it was near impossible for a woman to live an independent life, let alone pursue scientific research. Rebecca Mascull’s second novel ‘Song of the Sea Maid’ explores these issues, taking a young girl with an inquisitive and intelligence mind and following her as she becomes a natural philosopher, determined to travel the world and conduct her own research free from the constraints of men.
This book is beautifully written. The words are lyrical and the plot is compelling. While it is not a quick read, or one that is particularly adventurous, it is peaceful and the slow-pace allows you to get involved with Dawnay’s story and come to understand her without having to navigate external threats and action. Dawnay, herself, is a brilliant lead. You can’t help but love her from the moment she is introduced, something that continues throughout the novel. You are on her side.
There were a couple of instances where this loyalty wavered, however, as I could not get behind the main romance of the novel. The very nature of it went against what I knew of the age this novel is set and my own, personal, opinions about relationships – essentially, I cannot connect to a relationship with someone already married. Had he not been married, it would probably be different, as there was obviously a connection and one that was believable.
I also really enjoyed reading about some of the problems Dawnay came up against for the sheer fact that she was a women. I do wish there was more of these instances as it felt that the main men in the novel were very accepting of her pursuits, despite it going against the very nature of society at that time. As a result, there were sections which felt very convenient and unbelievable.
That being said, I did enjoy this novel. It was very different to my usual reads and so it was a very refreshing read. The writing was wonderful and the two main climactic events were thrilling and terrifying – it felt like you were there. I do think, however, that it is a book which you need to be in the right mind-set for, as the slow pace can seem boring at times, if you are not feeling that invested in this type of novel.
I received a copy of this to review from Netgalley.
This book is beautifully written. The words are lyrical and the plot is compelling. While it is not a quick read, or one that is particularly adventurous, it is peaceful and the slow-pace allows you to get involved with Dawnay’s story and come to understand her without having to navigate external threats and action. Dawnay, herself, is a brilliant lead. You can’t help but love her from the moment she is introduced, something that continues throughout the novel. You are on her side.
There were a couple of instances where this loyalty wavered, however, as I could not get behind the main romance of the novel. The very nature of it went against what I knew of the age this novel is set and my own, personal, opinions about relationships – essentially, I cannot connect to a relationship with someone already married. Had he not been married, it would probably be different, as there was obviously a connection and one that was believable.
I also really enjoyed reading about some of the problems Dawnay came up against for the sheer fact that she was a women. I do wish there was more of these instances as it felt that the main men in the novel were very accepting of her pursuits, despite it going against the very nature of society at that time. As a result, there were sections which felt very convenient and unbelievable.
That being said, I did enjoy this novel. It was very different to my usual reads and so it was a very refreshing read. The writing was wonderful and the two main climactic events were thrilling and terrifying – it felt like you were there. I do think, however, that it is a book which you need to be in the right mind-set for, as the slow pace can seem boring at times, if you are not feeling that invested in this type of novel.
I received a copy of this to review from Netgalley.
shriyak's review against another edition
5.0
Changed from 4.5 to 5 stars!
Right book at the right time is what Song of Sea Maid is for me.
I won this book several months ago but somehow it crept under several other books.
I have recently craved more plots with strong independent characters full of intelligence particularly women.
I thoroughly enjoyed how Rebecca has included Science, she makes an important point in the acknowledgements.
We need more authors like this. I can't wait to see what Rebecca has next.
Highly recommend.
Right book at the right time is what Song of Sea Maid is for me.
I won this book several months ago but somehow it crept under several other books.
I have recently craved more plots with strong independent characters full of intelligence particularly women.
I thoroughly enjoyed how Rebecca has included Science, she makes an important point in the acknowledgements.
We need more authors like this. I can't wait to see what Rebecca has next.
Highly recommend.
rachm77's review against another edition
4.0
This is a bit of a slow-burner; I initially wasn't really grabbed by either the setting or voice, however Dawnay's coming of age in the most extraordinary way made for a really interesting story. The style is a little reminiscent of Dickens, and although the setting is 18th rather than 19th century, I thought there were similarities, which is obviously a compliment, despite the fact that I don't love Dickens!
Song of the Sea maid has many stereotypical elements, but Mascull develops them in unique ways, particularly through Dawnay's education, intellectual prowess and sense of adventure.
I received a free, digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Song of the Sea maid has many stereotypical elements, but Mascull develops them in unique ways, particularly through Dawnay's education, intellectual prowess and sense of adventure.
I received a free, digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.