Across 4000 nautical miles of mountainous seas and iceberg fields in the Southern Ocean, an Australian patrol pursues an illegal Uruguayan fishing boat. The Uruguayans are suspected of poaching Patagonian Toothfish, and the Australians are under instructions to make an example of them. But behind the headlines are the personal lives of the sailors on board. The men on both boats have families back home, bills to pay, and are all risking their lives under the instruction of higher forces-governments or employers. The novel (which was the recipient of a 2007 Varuna Manuscript Development Award) alternates between the experiences of the sailors and their wives back home, combining the intimate lives of the characters--full of longing, fear and uncertainty-with the larger story of the pursuit. It reminded me of Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm, with its amazing richness of information balanced by personal perspectives. There is no overt environmental agenda, the problems are clear, but solutions are very difficult to find. It’s all about the characters. Pescador’s Wake is equal parts drama, thriller, adventure, romance and documentary-and it works. It’s going to be a hand-seller’s delight, and might just be a surprise hit. I thoroughly recommend it.

Lachlan Jobbins is a freelance writer, ex-bookseller, and currently works at the NSW Writers’ Centre

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