Sad historical biography - can't imagine how it must have felt to outlive six children and a seafaring husband - Marele Day has a go at describing the grief and also the good times of the Captain's wife's life. ( )

Mrs Cook: the Real and Imagined Life of the Captain’s Wife is the eighth novel by Australian author, Marele Day. Day takes existing Cook artefacts: letters, medallions, monuments, furniture, crockery, portraits and more, and builds a backstory for them, using her meticulous research into the life of Mrs Cook. A wealth of facts presented in an interesting and easily digestible form. We learn about things like the change of calendar in 1752, life in 18th century London, docks, ale houses, war, country fairs, charting coastlines, estimating longitude, and preparation for long sea voyages. Above all, we learn of the deep love the Cooks had for each other, and the heartache that Elizabeth Cook endured as her husband was gone for sometimes years without word. This novel is quite a departure from Day’s usual style, and is reminiscent of Geraldine Brooks’ technique of taking a few historical facts and embroidering them with a story. Two passages stood out or me: “Elizabeth had two husbands – the one who spent months at a time with her, with whom she had come to Yorkshire; and the imagined husband, the one who was by her side when the one in the next room was away. The one who was there every breath she took, who inhabited her body as much as she did herself. The husband made of air, and memories and yearning, who nestled into the bed beside her at night.” From this passage comes the title. And “What decision would Elizabeth have made if the Almighty had revealed His plan for her? I will send you a great man and you will love each other profoundly. But he will die, and so will all of your children. Your well of grief will be so immense you’ll think you can’t bear it, but you will survive, living out the missing years of your loved ones’ lives.” An interesting and excellent read. ( )