Novel probes woes of fishers' wives
Web posted Thursday, August 19, 2004 — Excerpts
Review by Shana Loshbaugh
"...Doyle crafts a detailed and complex look at a restless woman's maturation and the evolution of her marriage. Told through Nora's eyes and entries in her diary, it is an introspective and emotional odyssey.
Although Nora puts her marriage and children at the top of her priorities, readers will not find The Fisherman's Quilt either a conventional romance or a homily on so-called "traditional family values."
Although the author is never explicit or sensationalistic, she talks about marital sexuality and cynical religion, and her frequent allusions to casual drug use may shock some.
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The author is at her best when she shows Nora's inner thoughts and the complexities of her relationship with Matt. Their characters are compelling, and the dialog and interactions between them have a searing authenticity.
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This is very much a woman's book in both voice and viewpoint. As such, it is an interesting contrast to the masculine fishing life portrayed in William McCloskey's well-known Highliners books, which overlap The Fisherman's Quilt in time and place.
...Doyle's book speaks with insight and power about the lives of neglected women. Although such stresses are notoriously acute for wives of Alaska's commercial fishermen, the problems she depicts are universal and will resonate with readers who have never landed a salmon or crab.
The Fisherman's Quilt is well-written, intelligent and touching....
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