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This page lists novels and non-fiction by Joan Druett.

Abigail

Joan Druett

1988

Subsequently published by Old Salt Press in 2016 as A Love of Adventure.

"Born at sea and raised on shipboard, adventurous young Abigail Sherman wants nothing more than to be wedded to the ocean for life. Instead, fate conspires against her. Beset by problems with the British administration in New Zealand, her widowed father packs her off to the dour household of relatives in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to learn proper womanly decorum. Arriving on the same day as the momentous news of the discovery of gold in California, Abigail does her best to conform, despite being involved in controversial events, including the Women's Rights movement, and a sensational murder trial. News of her father's brutal murder impels her to escape to South America, where she enters into a marriage of convenience with a strongwilled young whaling captain. Her dowry is the ownership of the brig she grew up on, and a puzzling rhyme that may lead to a fortune. But, before she can return to New Zealand to collect, Abigail must outwit the grumbling seamen of her husband's ship, a mystery murderer, and her own attractive, strangely hostile husband."

A Promise of Gold

Joan Druett

1990

"California in the 19th century - the destiny of everyone infected with the fever of the gold rush. The master and crew of the brig Hakluyt were no exception, even though they had Harriet Gray on board. This woman has no ordinary part to play towards the beckoning promise of yellow gold."

Murder at the Brian Boru

Joan Druett

1992

A Watery Grave

Joan Druett

2004

A Wiki Coffin novel.

"The year is 1838, and after more than ten years in the planning, the famous United States Exploring Expedition is set to launch into uncharted waters from the coast of Virginia. A convoy of seven ships filled with astronomers, mapmakers, naturalists, and the sailors charged with getting them around the world, the "Ex. Ex." is finally underway, with much fanfare. Aboard the convoy as ship's linguist is Wiki Coffin. Half New Zealand Maori and half American, Wiki speaks numerous languages and is expected to help the crew navigate the Pacific islands that are his native heritage. But just before departure Wiki, subject to the unfortunate bigotry of the time, is arrested for a vicious murder he didn't commit. The convoy sails off, but just before the ships are out of reach Wiki is exonerated, set free to catch up with his ship and sail on. The catch: the local sheriff is convinced that the real murderer is aboard one of the seven ships of the expedition, and Wiki is deputized to identify the killer and bring him to justice."

Shark Island

Joan Druett

2005

A Wiki Coffin novel.

"Wiki Coffin, linguist aboard the U.S. Exploring Expedition, the famous voyage meant to put America at the forefront of 19th century scientific discovery, brings many skills to his job. Whether he's translating native languages, assisting his good friend Captain George Rochester as unofficial first mate, or upholding the rule of law as deputy to the sheriff of the port of Virginia, Wiki is never far from the action aboard the seven ships that make up the expedition. But when they encounter a wrecked sealing ship and its desperate crew on the shoals of remote, uninhabited Shark Island, Wiki has little idea just how many of his skills are about to be put to the test. As soon as they board the wreck, a dead body turns up with a dagger firmly inserted between its shoulder blades. And it's not just any dead body: the victim of the brutal murder is none other than the enigmatic captain of the doomed voyage. What's more, Wiki's colleague and nemesis Lieutenant Forsythe is suspected of the crime."

Run Afoul

Joan Druett

2006

A Wiki Coffin novel.

"As the great flagship Vincennes, under the dubious command of eccentric captain Charles Wilkes, leads the convoy toward a dramatic entrance in the port of Rio, careless manoeuvring causes one of the vessels to run afoul of a Boston trading ship - a shocking embarrassment that none of the sailors aboard is likely to live down during their time in port. As it turns out, the trader is owned and commanded by the famous and larger-than-life Captain William Coffin, father to Wiki and sailor of all seven seas as well as another dozen or so he's managed to invent in his years of telling tall tales. The encounter sets in motion a series of confounding events that reunites the elder Coffin with his illegitimate half-Maori son and that, before they are through, will see two men dead, Coffin on trial for murder, and Wiki working feverishly to unmask the real killers before the expedition sails on, leaving his father at the mercy of an unforgiving Brazilian court - and Wiki's own tenuous grip on family hanging desperately in the balance."

Deadly Shoals

Joan Druett

2007

A Wiki Coffin novel.

"Wiki Coffin plays many parts on the U.S. Exploring Expedition - sailor, linguist, navigator, and, as half-Maori, cultural go-between. But then the brig Swallow reaches the coast of Patagonia, an area infamous for its rough gauchos and revolutionary spirit, and he must take on his other role, that of agent of U.S. law and order. A New England whaler shows up, desperate to find the devious trader who has cheated him of a thousand dollars and a schooner. Wiki is assigned to find the missing ship, only to follow a trail of clues to a dead body, half-buried in a hill of salt, its skull picked clean by vultures. The adventure unravels in the impoverished village of El Carmen de Patagones, where the threat of French invasion is imminent, and business is at a standstill under the orders of General de Rosas, the tyrant of Buenos Aires. Wiki must risk both life and reputation in pursuit of a vicious and determined killer who has set his sights on another target: the U.S. Exploring Expedition itself."

The Beckoning Ice

Joan Druett

2012

A Wiki Coffin novel.

"It is February 1839, and the ships of the United States Exploring Expedition are thrashing about dreaded Cape Horn, on their way to a rendezvous at Orange Harbor, Tierra del Fuego, on a crazy mission to be the first to find Antarctica. A sealing schooner hails the brig Swallow with a strange tale of a murdered corpse on an iceberg--surely a case for Wiki Coffin, half-Maori, half-Yankee 'linguister,' who is the representative of American law and order with the fleet. But circumstances are against him. As Wiki has been banished from the Swallow to the Peacock, where he is forced to battle racism in the wardroom, and vengeful sealers on the decks, the puzzle is surely too much even for this experienced sleuth. Then Wiki is tested even further when he uncovers a brutal murder on board. To solve this double mystery, Wiki is forced to make a dangerous voyage to the utmost fringes of the beckoning ice."

Judas Island

Joan Druett

2012

"As she stood on the deck of the brig Gosling, Harriet Gray was forced to face an unhappy truth. She had been duped, yet again. At eighteen, the lovely English actress had already known more than her share of betrayal. And now, a dishonest shipmaster had stranded her on board a ship that was manned by a lusty, treasure-hunting crew, with a pirate captain whose dangerous smile barely concealed his fury. And whose quest for the dark secret of Judas Island was about to unveil an ancient tragedy...."

Calafia's Kingdom

Joan Druett

2013

"Like a phantom dogging Harriet Gray’s trail, Frank Sefton is polished, charming—and utterly ruthless. Once, he abandoned the actress to a miserable fate on the far-flung shores of New Zealand. Now, he is back in her life—full of devious schemes to rob and mortify her, far from the protection of Captain Jake Dexter, and his gold-seeking crew."

Dearest Enemy

Joan Druett

2014

"That the Gosling Company should become a theatrical company was a preposterous idea - as crazy as the actual fact that Captain Jake Dexter, once a respectable Yankee mariner, was now an infamous pirate. Yet, he had already travelled such a long, strange path as a fortune-hunting adventurer that metamorphosing into the manager of the first theatre in Sacramento, California, was just another step. But Jake Dexter could never imagine the danger that this would involve for his actress, Harriet Gray, or that his own life would be so threatened. The nail-biting climax to Jake’s hunt for treasure - and Harriet’s search for true love."

The Money Ship

Joan Druett

2017

"The Money Ship is a fast-moving novel on a sprawling canvas that spans three oceans and a myriad of exotic ports. As the pages turn, Jerusha voyages from the smuggling and fishing port of Lewes, Sussex to Boston in its glittering heyday, then back to newly settled Singapore, until her quest for love and pirate treasure comes to a spine-chilling climax in the benighted lands of Borneo."

Finale

Joan Druett

2018

"The year is 1905, and the heyday of Thames, in the goldfields of New Zealand. Back in 1867, Captain Jake Dexter, a flamboyant adventurer and pirate, and his mistress, the actress Harriet Gray, invested the fortune they made during the gold rushes of California and Australia in a theatre and hotel called the Golden Goose, which has become an internationally acclaimed tourist venue, famous for its Murder Mystery Weekends. Guests gather, and a fake murder is staged, and it is up to them to find the killer. But this hugely successful venture is now at great risk. Timothy Dexter, an American of dubious ancestry, threatens the inheritance of the Golden Goose Hotel, and the Gray family gathers to hold a council of war, interrupted when a real murder intervenes. And a young tourist, Cissy Miller, entrusted with a Harlequin costume and a very strange mission, may be the only one to hold the key to the mystery."

Exotic Intruders: The Introduction of Plants and Animals to New Zealand

Joan Druett

Heinemann

1983

Fulbright in New Zealand

Joan Druett

1988

Petticoat Whalers: Whaling Wives at Sea

Joan Druett

1991

"Joan Druett offers an informed and accessible account of little known stories of wives of whaling captains who accompanied their husbands on long and arduous journeys to bring whale oil and blubber to New England. Surprisingly, by 1850 roughly a sixth of all whaling vessels carried the captains' wives. Invariably the only woman aboard a very cramped ship, they endured harsh conditions to provide companionship for their husbands, and sometimes even exerted a strong unofficial moral influence on a rowdy crew. Joan Druett provides captivating portraits of many of these wives and the difficult circumstances they endured."

She Was a Sister Sailor: Mary Brewster's Whaling Journals: 1845–1851

Editor: Joan Druett

1992

"Mary Brewster's journals are here published for the first time. As the most complete account of the female experience at sea, this volume will be of great interest to both scholars and enthusiasts of whaling and maritime history, Pacific history, and women's history."

Captain's Daughter, Coasterman's Wife: Carrie Hubbard Davis of Orient

Joan Druett

1995

"Nineteenth century account of Carrie Davis' short voyages with her husband aboard small coasting vessels. Family owned schooners like her husband's plied the Thames and Connecticut Rivers with Long Island produce."

The Sailing Circle: 19th Century Seafaring Women from New York

Joan Druett and Mary Anne Wallace

1995

"Published to accompany exhibits at Long Island's Three Village Historical Society and Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum, this nicely illustrated book takes us to sea with women and children who accompanied ship-captain fathers and husbands on coasting trips, deepwater voyages, and whaling adventures that went on for years. The text describes shipboard and shore routines, and frequently reveals the concerns and impressions of these seafaring women in their own words."

Hen Frigates: Wives of Merchant Captains Under Sail

Joan Druett

1998

"During the 19th century, women often accompanied their sea-captain husbands or fathers on oceangoing merchant ships, enduring the same hardships as the male sailors - sickness, poor weather, shipwreck, piracy - and a few of their own, as well, such as pregnancy and childbirth. Yet the history of women at sea has remained largely unwritten and unacknowledged. .... In Hen Frigates, Druett has used the letters and journals of seafaring women to limn a portrait of 19th-century ship-going life, including matters such as sex, child-rearing and medical practices. From shipwreck and pirate attacks to the intricacies of navigation and the pleasures of visiting foreign lands, Druett's heroines shed new perspective on the 19th-century shipping news."

She Captains, Heroines and Hellions of the Sea

Joan Druett

2000

"In an innovative look at maritime history from the female perspective, Joan Druett introduces a remarkable array of characters and re-creates their adventures with a captivating immediacy and wit. There are 'pirate queens' armed with cutlasses and pistols who strike fear into the hearts of sailors. There are sea-loving women and women eager to be with the men they loved, who dress as men and join unsuspecting crews where they serve with honour and daring. The brave housekeepers and rescue workers are here too - including twenty year old Grace Darling, whose rescue of nine castaways in 1838 inspired a torrent of books, songs and poems. Finally, 'A Woman at the Helm' shines a spotlight on the long line of 'she captains' who conquered dangerous seas and commanded rough crews, often displaying fortitude lacking in many of their male counterparts."

Rough Medicine: Surgeons at Sea Under Sail

Joan Druett

2001

"Using diaries, journals, and correspondences, Druett recounts the daily grind surgeons on nineteenth-century whaling ships faced: the rudimentary tools they used, the treatments they had at their disposal, the sorts of people they encountered in their travels, and the dangers they faced under the harsh conditions of life at sea."

In the Wake of Madness, the Murderous Voyage of the Whaleship Sharon

Joan Druett

2003

"On May 25, 1841, the Massachusetts whaleship Sharon set out for the whaling ground of the northwestern Pacific. A year later, while most of the crew was out hunting, Captain Howes Norris was brutally murdered. When the men in the whaleboats returned, they found four crew members on board, three of whom were covered in blood, the other screaming from atop the mast. Single-handedly, the third officer launched a surprise attack to recapture the Sharon, killing two of the attackers and subduing the other. An American investigation into the murder was never conducted--even when the Sharon returned home three years later, with only four of the original twenty-nine crew on board."

Island of the Lost, Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World

Joan Druett

2007

"In 1864 Captain Thomas Musgrave and his crew of four aboard the schooner Grafton wreck on the southern end of the island. Utterly alone in a dense coastal forest, plagued by stinging blowflies and relentless rain, Captain Musgrave - rather than succumb to this dismal fate--inspires his men to take action. With barely more than their bare hands, they build a cabin and, remarkably, a forge, where they manufacture their tools. Under Musgrave's leadership, they band together and remain civilized through even the darkest and most terrifying days. .... Using the survivors' journals and historical records, award-winning maritime historian Joan Druett brings this extraordinary untold story to life, a story about leadership and the fine line between order and chaos."

Tupaia: Captain Cook's Polynesian Navigator

Joan Druett

2010

Published by Random House (NZ) as Tupaia: The Remarkable Story of Captain Cook's Polynesian Navigator.

"Tupaia was the brilliant Polynesian navigator and translator who sailed with Captain James Cook from Tahiti, piloted the "Endeavour" across the South Pacific, and interceded on behalf of the European voyagers with the warrior Maori of New Zealand. As a man of high social ranking, Tupaia was also invaluable as an intermediary, interpreting local rituals and ceremonies. Joseph Banks, the botanist with Cook's expedition, is famous for describing the manners and customs of the Polynesian people in detail. Much of the credit for this information rightfully belongs to Tupaia - indeed, he could aptly be called the Pacific's first anthropologist. Despite all this, Tupaia's colorful tale has never been part of the popular Captain Cook legend. This unique book tells the first-contact story with Europeans as seen through the eyes of the Polynesians, and documents how Tupaia's contributions changed the history of the Pacific."

The Elephant Voyage

Joan Druett

2013

"In the heady climate of the nineteenth century goldrushes, “going to see the elephant” was a saying that described an exciting, often dangerous, and usually profitless adventure—something to tell one's grandchildren about. In the spirit of the bestselling Island of the Lost, the story is told of the crew of the Connecticut schooner Sarah W. Hunt. When their boats are blown out to sea, off one of the most icy and hostile islands in the sub-Antarctic ocean, twelve men are abandoned by their skipper, left to live or die by their own wits and stamina. Six survive, to be carried to New Zealand—where the inquiry and court case that follow become an international controversy, with repercussions that reach as far as the desk of the president of the United States."

Eleanor's Odyssey: Journal of the Captain's Wife on the East Indiaman Friendship: 1799-1801

Joan Druett

2014

"It was 1799, and French privateers lurked in the Atlantic and the Bay of Bengal. Yet Eleanor Reid, newly married and just twenty-one years old, made up her mind to sail with her husband, Captain Hugh Reid, to the Pacific, the Spice Islands and India. Danger threatened not just from the barely charted seas they would be sailing, but from the lowest deck of Captain Reid’s East Indiaman Friendship, too - from the cages of Irish rebels he was carrying to the penal colony of New South Wales. Joan Druett embellishes Eleanor’s journal with a commentary that illuminates the strange story of a remarkable young woman."

Lady Castaways

Joan Druett

2015

"Joan Druett relates the stories of women who survived remarkable challenges, from heroines like Mary Ann Jewell, the 'governess' of Auckland Island in the icy sub-Antarctic, to Millie Jenkins, whose ship was sunk by a whale."

The Notorious Captain Hayes: The Remarkable True Story of of William 'Bully' Hayes, Pirate of the Pacific

Joan Druett

2017

"Famous throughout the Pacific, from the US to Australia and all points in between, Captain Bully Hayes has been the inspiration for writers ranging from Robert Louis Stevenson to James A. Michener and Frank Clune. Rousing films have been based on his life, and his name adorns bars and hotels all over the Pacific. But the truth is both less noble and more intriguing than the myth. The Hayes of legend was a product of the popular press at the time, the construction of editors who were determined to create a romantic figure to feed their readers' appetites. This, the first proper biography of this legendary nineteenth-century figure, simultaneously sorts the facts from the fantasy and recounts an amazing true story of a genuine rogue and adventurer, against the backdrop of the Pacific during the great age of sail and trade."