Paula DiPerna’s first novel combines historical and scientific fact with a fictional, behind-the-scenes look at what might have been had there been a woman on Columbus’s voyages. Christopher Columbus’s wife, Felipa Moniz Perestrello, died in approximately 1484. If she had lived, this would be the diary she might have kept while traveling with her husband to the New World. The novel portrays Felipa as a jealous, passionate, and adventurous woman. DiPerna has come up with a great idea, and, despite a slow start, her narrative proves well written and engrossing. The author, a previous vice president of the Cousteau Society, is a seasoned traveler and well qualified to write about adventure and exploration. Recommended for most collections, especially women’s studies collections
