Karen L

The Voyage of the Morning Light by Marina Endicott presents historical fiction intertwined with the moral decisions a family of the early 1900s struggle with and, eventually, must face.

The story of the Grant family begins during an ocean voyage with Captain Grant in charge, accompanied by his new wife, Thea, and her precocious young half-sister, Kay. The author subtly weaves her character development with vivid descriptions of a life at sea and the beauty of the pristine natural surroundings.

In the course of the voyage, Thea suffers a miscarriage and, subsequently, the ship falls upon a small group of desperate islanders begging for food. They offer a young boy who accompanies them in exchange for sustenance and Thea cannot refuse.

The moral outcome of this decision carries forth the plot and keeps the characters and the reader engrossed in its impact on all of their lives.

What brings the reader back to the book each time it is picked up is the desire to return to life lived at the turn of the century, vividly detailed, as well as the desire to engage and share in the family's moral dilemma, realizing that the decisions they had to deal with are as contemporary as yesterday.

This book presents historical fiction at its best.