First of all, hats off to anyone who can take 1700s documentation and turn it into a compelling novel. A ‘story’ that readers will question if they are actually reading a fictional story. I find this style of writing requires the highest level of talent. David Grann did not disappoint.

The way to write a novel about an historical event, that is also an interesting read, is picking the right event and having enough documentation to back it up. Check.

I really enjoyed this ‘story’. The filler didn’t feel like filler. The side chats informing the reader about the indigenious people, scurvy and other facts didn’t feel like a lecture or distracting. I stopped every time I learned something interesting to share with my husband until he finally said, ‘Stop telling me things, I want to read it myself!’

Thank goodness for journals and logs that brought this story to life. (I still have it in my will to burn all of mine when I die ha) The journals gave a human aspect to the story, real feelings.

The ending was summoned up well and as a reader I felt a bit ‘tricked’. Grann wasn’t just telling us about a shipwreck that happened hundreds of years ago but rather showing us that humans are complex. There is never as easy answer. In life we might try our best to do the right thing and still feel we ended up on the wrong side of history.

What’s that famous saying? There are three versions of the truth, yours, mine and what really happened. So we may never know what really happened with The Wager, but I hope you walk away from this thinking deeper and feeling grateful.

What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Amazon Link – The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder By: David Grann

Stats: 331 pages, Hardcover on my shelf - First published April 18, 2023