Ahab's Bride is captivating. Although I am not easily hooked into a novel, I was hooked almost before I could take a breath. I could hardly put the book down until I was finished.From the first paragraph the reader is transported back in time to 19th century Nantucket into the world of Moby Dick's Captain Ahab and the woman who falls love with him. With an impeccable depiction of the period, Louise M. Gouge walks us through the dusty streets of two whaling communities and into the lives of these fictional, but realistic characters.Hannah Rose, the viewpoint characer, is a woman who transcends time, a woman we easily identify with, a strong woman who goes after her dreams and faces life with honesty and courage, somewhat reminiscent of Ida in Cold Mountain.Meanwhile, the person of Captain Ahab, as seen through the eyes of love, takes on new and intriguing dimensions which make you want to brush off your copy of Moby Dick and read it all over again.