Sunday, December 06, 2009

B is for Boundless

I thoroughly enjoyed this paranormal time-slip novel when I read it last year, though it doesn't seem to have gotten much attention from the historical fiction community. When it came time to post about a book corresponding to the letter "B" for Historical Tapestry's Alphabet in Historical Fiction challenge, I knew this was going to be my pick.

Graduate student Liza Donovan has been experiencing unsettling dreams of 19th-century Nantucket, so she jumps at the chance to spend summer break there with her roommate and best friend, Jane. Jane's aunt Kitty happens to live in one of the island's most prominent and famous homes. The stories Kitty recounts about ship’s captain Obadiah Young, who owned her house back in the 1840s, startle Liza, because she recognizes him as the man from her visions ... which are becoming progressively more intrusive, and also more erotic.

In the course of her search, Liza grows close to Adam Gallagher, a gorgeous curator at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Together they learn more about Obadiah’s relationship with his beautiful, frail socialite wife, Lucy, and her mysterious death. Long-ago rumor holds that Obadiah murdered Lucy, pushing her down a flight of stairs before heading out to sea on what was to be his final voyage.

Liza's uncanny ability to identify scenes and whaling paraphernalia dating from the early 19th century puzzles everyone, Liza included, until she comes to accept that her visions must relate to a past life. Kitty's godson, Lucian, is skeptical of anything remotely New Agey, but Liza feels strangely attracted to him even despite his doubts and snarky remarks. The most confusing thing of all is the content of the dreams themselves. In them, Liza seems to be viewing the past through the alternating viewpoints of both Obadiah and Lucy. If Liza is truly experiencing dreams from an earlier lifetime, who was she back then?

When I read novels with parallel timelines, the present-day scenarios often prove to be annoying distractions from the more interesting historical segments. This isn't the case here. The modern-day characters are so open and genuine that they're impossible not to like. Their snappy dialogue and the many contemporary references contrast well with the serious tone of the earlier setting: a 19th-century Quaker whaling village, a place where social proprieties matter and death at sea is a tragic fact of life. When the two timelines overlap in Liza's dreams, it has a haunting effect, and the intensity increases as the novel approaches its conclusion.

There are some explicit sex scenes you'd never have found in a Mary Stewart or Anya Seton novel of this type, but they're integral for character development, and the storyline as a whole is engrossing. This was one of my most entertaining reads of 2008. Plus, it has an awesome cover.

The Boundless Deep was published in 2008 by Forge at $14.95 (432pp, paperback, 978-0-7653-1972-2).

12 comments:

  1. I don't remember hearing about this one before, but it sounds very interesting! Added another book to my TBR pile courtesy of Reading the Past!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds interesting, and it's been added to my list as well. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh man, this sounds interesting! Adding to my reading list now!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I haven't heard of this one either but will definitely add to my list.
    And it is a gorgeous cover.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful cover and a story that sounds just as lovely. Sort of a new "Ghost and Mrs. Muir" esque story (does anyone remember that old movie?)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sounds like an intriguing story, and I am drawn to the gorgeous cover. Thank you for this terrific, thorough review. And explicit sex scenes are a plus. *LOL!*

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've never seen Ghost and Mrs Muir but have heard about the related TV series. It sounds like one to look up. Thanks!

    If anyone else decides to read the book, I'll be curious to hear what you think!

    ReplyDelete
  8. bookish-violet4:54 AM

    This sounded intriguing until I got to the part about there being explicit horizontal folk dancing, and then my brain went,"Pass". I much prefer it when the writer fades to black and allows the reader to use his or her own imagination. I prefer subtle rather than explicit; it's all too unintentionally hilarious otherwise, and feels icky, like spying through the keyhole. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. That does sound like a good one. I'll have to keep an eye out for it! Have you read The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley? I just finished it, and it's another good one with parallel present-day and historical (1708 Scotland, in this case) storylines.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've had a copy of The Winter Sea around here for over a year but haven't gotten to it yet (to my chagrin). I need to make time for it, because I've heard so many positive recommendations.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Autumn Zimmerman9:03 PM

    I'm always looking for new book recommendations, and I love how in depth your reviews are! I'll definitely have to read your other reviews in my spare time and add some books to my shopping list!

    ReplyDelete