Kismet
The Zephyr Series
A capable woman forges a new life while traveling to California by sea in the adventure-filled historical novel Kismet.
In J. James Wheeling’s exciting historical novel Kismet, a woman undertakes a sea voyage to prove her courage.
Lillia’s fiancé Donovan runs away from his cruel father, leaving only a note behind. Lillia is understanding, but she’s encumbered by her genteel life with her parents in mid-1800s Massachusetts. Risking scrutiny for being jilted, she joins her Uncle Sebastian and Captain Eagleton on the Ornery Agnes, a ship bound to sail around Cape Horn and reach California.
Lillia, a skillful negotiator, is charged with curbing Sebastian’s enthusiasm; he’s convinced that their plans to become importers are fated. Their differences allow her talents to shine, in particular through her astute questions to men. She is sometimes underestimated because of her gender, but her business acumen is certain. She also becomes curious about ocean navigation.
In addition to Lillia’s ambitions, the novel is driven forward by the establishment of Captain Eagleton as her potential love interest. Lillia goes from being okay with being unmarried to appreciating the prospect of having an equal partner. Their rapport is at first cordial, and their relationship evolves slowly during their monthslong voyage. As the tedium of travel wears on them, they warm to each other, and when a dangerous passenger threatens them, Captain Eagleton finally admits his feelings for Lillia.
The period is sketched in via observations of objects on the ship: Giant ice blocks are packed in sawdust as cargo, oranges are procured in Chile, and passengers carry items ranging from opium to a stylish French knife that hint at their personal concerns and motivations. The same objects are used to advance various plot points, tying together disparate elements of the story well.
As Lillia’s journey continues, she responds to fresh challenges with aplomb, evolving and adapting. She meets Captain Eagleton’s siblings in California and experiences the excitement of an unexpected windfall too. But while every element introduced on the sea feeds into a larger storyline, resulting in cohesion, the novel goes somewhat awry with its later developments. A plan to rescue miners from fraudulent taxation, for example, results in an unlikely encounter with Donovan. Such coincidences strain credulity and, the more it veers from Lillia’s initial travels on the sea, the more the story resembles a tall tale.
In the romance-infused historical novel Kismet, an enterprising woman finds love and fulfillment in the course of a sea expedition.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
