From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Told in four alternating voices, each one represented by a unique typeface, this is the story of Henry Hudson's final, fatal attempt to find the Northwest Passage. It relates the man's obsession with his quest, his crew's growing dissatisfaction and eventual mutiny, and the rivalry among European countries during the age of exploration. The first voice, that of Hudson's 17-year-old son, John, a sailor on his father's ship Discovery, is full of excitement over the long sea voyage. Eight-year-old Richard, left at home in London with his mother, tells poignantly of missing his father and brother. Isabella Digges, secretly in love with John despite her noble father's disapproval of a mere sailor as a suitor for his daughter, keeps a journal while the Discovery is away. In addition to her thoughts of John, Isabella recounts her own adventure in the Netherlands, where she has been sent to spy on the Dutch East India Trading Company on behalf of England while posing as a nursemaid/companion to the 14-year-old daughter of a prominent Dutch investor. Finally, Seth Syms, fleeing the enraged jealous husband of his lady love by posing as his cousin Nicholas for the voyage, tells his tale in a series of letters to his mother. The author's skillful juxtaposition of these four narratives creates an absorbing work of historical fiction that manages to incorporate the viewpoints of explorers, investors, sailors, governments, family members, and neighbors of those who played a part in this fascinating era.—Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
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From Booklist

Told from four vantage points, this story recounts Henry Hudson’s doomed last voyage to find a northwest passage leading to the riches of the Orient beyond. Hudson’s teenage son, John, a prankster and adventurer at heart, accompanies him on the quest, while younger son, Richard, remains behind in England with his mother. A stowaway of sorts aboard the Discovery provides the third point of view, and the final belongs to a young noblewoman, Isabella Digges, who is sent as a spy to the Netherlands to ferret out the Dutch East Indies Company’s most secret maps. Alternating the action evenly between the four well-rounded characters is a nice device to keep the intrigue and anticipation of the ship’s return simmering throughout. However, readers might be let down by the Discovery’s lack of high-seas adventure—much of the time is spent stuck in the ice and starving through a long winter. The ending provides a grim reminder that history is no storybook tale with guaranteed happy endings. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman

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