Ever since Hollywood released “In The Heart Of The Sea,” I’ve been enthralled with all things Moby Dick. When I found a Nantucket based series about hunting whales? *Swoon!!! Absolutely must have…* And I’m happy to inform you that book #1, “Phoebe’s Light,” was just as good as I hoped!

Have you just ever wanted to have life your way? So did Phoebe Starbuck. In the first few chapters of this book, Phoebe gets just that. Her way. But as she sails off with her new husband on a whaling expedition, she realizes what she thought she wanted and the reality of what she received were two very different things. Very quickly, we see that both stubbornness and redemption play a big role in Phoebe’s story. And though Phoebe suffers a lot from poor choices, the redemption she receives in the end is beautiful and so like God, who pulls us out of the messes we so often make. All that to say, this book is very, very good. The author did a great job of making the story line believable, yet not predictable or cheesy. You’ll feel a lot of emotions reading Phoebe’s story and when you get to the last chapter, you’ll love the way it ends.

Another thing that really impressed me about this novel was the dual time setting in regards to Phoebe’s Great Grandmother’s journal.  Every so often, at the end of a chapter, Phoebe would pull out her Great Mary’s journal and read an entry. Most of the time, when a book includes a journal from a past family member, I end up liking the story in the journal more than the main character. But not this time! Both settings – Phoebe’s and her Great Grandmother’s Mary’s journal – had me on the edge of my seat!

Conclusion: I had high hopes for this book – and it matched up to every single one. I’m not big on Amish or Mennonite books, so naturally, it was my first time to read a book from this author. Not only will I be finishing this series, I’d even be open to reading more from Suzanne Woods Fisher. Her writing was that good! I learned a lot about the Quakers and of course, the history of Nantucket. If you’re looking for an adventure with deep spiritual lessons, yet, a happy ending, you should check out Phoebe’s Light!