The Captains Wife

This is a short and obscure novel by Douglas Kelley. It is based on the true story of the gallant Mary Ann Patten, wife of Joshua Patten the captain of the clipper ship Neptune's Car in 1856. When her husband was down with sickness, and she was the only one who could navigate(having learned it as a hobby) she brought the ship around Cape Horn from New York to California with the help of Hare the second mate. All the while caring for her husband and burdened with an unborn child. Continually conducting a power struggle with the first mate Keeler. This story is reasonably good if not spectacular in quality but it serves the purpose of remembering a woman who ought to be remembered.


 * Adventure Couple: Joshua and Mary
 * As Joshua is down through most of the book it is arguably Mary and Hare. Which creates tension.
 * Badass Bookworm: Mary
 * Based on a True Story : and pretty close to history interestingly enough.
 * The Captain: Joshua
 * The Caretaker: Mary to Joshua
 * Crowning Moment of Awesome: The whole book is about a Real Life Crowning Moment of Awesome.
 * Courtly Love: Mr Hare the second mate, has this toward Mary. Nothing is done about it. It's the nineteenth century.
 * Deliberate Values Dissonance: Among other things Mary acts like a proper ninteenth century lady. Definitely not a Straw Feminist.
 * Determined Sea Captains Wife : Mary. And how!
 * Determinator: Mary
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
 * Good People Have Good Sex: Joshua and Mary. Which has a bit of Squick when one reflects that they were after all Real Life people once.
 * Happily Married: Joshua and Mary.
 * The Heroine: Mary Ann Patten. The book is pretty much from her perspective.
 * Hidden Depths: Mary
 * Honour Before Reason: Why they finish the voyage instead of turning back.
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Hare
 * Jeanne D'Archetype: Mary.
 * Jumped At the Call
 * The Lancer: Mary
 * Officer and a Gentleman: Joshua
 * Plucky Girl: Mary. Up to Eleven
 * The Power of Love: Which in this case was enough to get the ship round the Horn.
 * Pregnant Badass: Mary
 * The Smart Guy: Mary(who does her job because she can navigate)
 * Spirited Young Lady: Mary is both a Spirited Young Lady and a Proper Lady.
 * Team Dad: Joshua
 * Team Mom: Mary
 * Undying Loyalty: Mary to Joshua
 * Unfortunate Implications: It is implied that Keeler is uglier because he has darker skin.
 * What You Are in the Dark: Mary and Hare might actually have gotten away with betraying Joshua while he was helpless.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko: Mary
 * Will They or Won't They?: Mary and Hare. They won't. Its not done. For obvious reasons.
 * The Woobie: Joshua because he is sick, Hare because he must "love from afar".
 * You Are in Command Now
 * Wooden Ships and Iron Men