We don’t review too many books here at Boating, and almost never review novels. Most books “about” boating are really about something else, though the setting may be nautical.
The Widow Wave, a new novel by Jay Jacobs proved worthy of published review by us. The book centers on the loss of the 34-foot private boat which went down during a salmon fishing outing off San Francisco with loss of its owner’s life and that of his companions. The widow of one of the deceased anglers sued the widow of the boat’s owner for negligence and Jacobs, an attorney, was hired as counsel for the defendant.
The trial, and the legal footwork leading up to it, hinged upon rogue waves, oceanic weather systems and seamanship. And as a primer in those subject matters it’s pretty good, in a novelistic sort of way; Jacobs personal love and knowledge of the sea rings from the pages like a bell.
But as a boat owner, I was also absorbed with the concepts of my potential culpability in carrying guests as crew and the consequences of that—both before and after my death.
Give The Widow Wave a read. If you own a boat, there is much to recommend it.
Quid Pro Publishers, 440 pages, $7.99 Kindle Edition Available September 2014
