Son of Perdition

With Son of Perdition, Louise Gouge has triumphantly crowned her Ahab's Legacy series. Like a fine piece of symphonic music this third novel in Gouge's series brings the story of Hannah Rose Ahab and her son, Timothy, to a final, stirring crescendo. With her wonderful symbolism, masterful grasp of history and achingly beautiful writing voice Louise Gouge draws the reader into the story putting them into the setting as only this author can do. As Timothy Ahab comes of age, he is forced to face questions concerning his father, the infamous Captain Ahab of Moby Dick fame-questions that have haunted both him and his mother for years. Not simply a coming-of-age story, Son of Perdition explores serious spiritual questions in its deeper, overarching theme. Can man escape his innate bent for sinning through the force of his own will? Or is it only by surrendering his will to God's that man finds the singular antidote for his inherent tendency toward evil? Told against the backdrop of the American Civil War, Louise Gouge's Son of Perdition reaffirms powerful and abiding scriptural truths. Two thumbs way up, Son of Perdition is a definite "must read."

Louise Gouge's story leaps from the page, grabs you by the collar and yanks you into the mid-1800's. Amid sailing ships, salty air and old sailors, you learn the story of Timothy Jacobs, A.K.A. Timothy Ahab, son of the legendary Captain Ahab. Journey with Timothy through a life where his father's actions loom overhead and threatens to ruin his future. "Son of Perdition" is a wonderful story and a great inspiration. I read it through without stopping! Louise weaves a story with threads of the original Captain Ahab and the saga of his surviving family. If you enjoy romance, adventure and the high seas, I highly recommend this book!

Louise M. Gouge brings new light to the old story of Captain Ahab by introducing us to the family left behind. Timothy (Ahab) Jacobs could be anyone of us. Condemned by others for the sins of his father, he tries to prove he's nothing like the long-dead captain. Meeting the son (Isaiah) and daughter (Jemima) - both friends from his early days - of one of the men who died under his father's service only serves to strengthen his resolve to prove himself. What will God have to do to bring Timothy back to Him? Will Isaiah ever forgive Timothy for his father's actions? And what will come of Timothy and Jemima's growing attraction? Ms. Gouge has wound a marvelous tale pulling from the wonderful old story of Captain Ahab and adding her own flair to the family characters. I was engrossed in this book from the time I picked it up until I finished it. Superb characters who have you cheering them on and disappointed when they make mistakes bring this story to life. "Son of Perdtition" is a wonderful read and a must have for any reader's library!

In Son of Perdition, Louise Gouge masterfully weaves a tale of history, human failure, redemption, spiritual healing, and love. Ms. Gouge gives us a fresh and interesting look at the classic Moby Dick by adding another dimension to some of the key characters and seamlessly intertwining them into this story. She gives us a fascinating look at the opposing views surrounding the Civil War by allowing us to view the war through the eyes of two fast friends-Timothy, Captain Ahab's son and an abolitionist, and Andre, a southerner and son of a slave holder. The author does an awesome job of portraying the human failures inherent when we try to establish our own righteousness, and the peace, healing, and wholeness that comes when we turn to God for grace and mercy.

If your father's madness caused the death of dozens of men, could you ever escape the hatred of those left behind? And could the obsession that killed your father be alive in you? Louise Gouge tells the story of Timothy, the son of the crazed Captain Ahab, who destroyed himself, his ship and all the crew aboard in his mad quest to kill Moby Dick. Now an adult, Ahab's son Timothy has only vague memories of his father. His mother's new husband is an honorable man who had been good to Timothy. When Timothy asks questions, he can see it hurts his mother, so he is left longing for the truth, but afraid of what he'll find. Son of Perdition is fascinating. Gouge tells the story of the Civil War through the eyes of Timothy, a cadet at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, and Isaiah, another cadet, who is his oldest friend, turned enemy when Ahab's obsession kills Isaiah's father. Son of Perdition is book three in Gouge's excellent Ahab's Legacy series. Gouge gives us an interesting look at the strife leading up to the Civil War, and the cost of that conflict in American lives, all wrapped up in a love story. We see the damage to Isaiah and Timothy brought on by the horros of war. Very well done. Although it's not in any sense a thriller, the story is captivating to the point it's hard to put down.