PREVAILING WIND, Thomas Dolby blinding us with sailing!

PREVAILING WIND
THOMAS DOLBY
Archway Publishing
$5.99 ebook editions, available now

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: On the eve of WW1, amidst the turbulence of the Ludlow Massacre and the Triangle Shirt Factory fire, the young Haskell brothers Davey (16) and Jacob (21) dream of escaping the poverty of their lobsterman life in Deer Isle, Maine. Their sailing talents catch the eye of the powerful New York Yacht Club, with a chance for glory in the prestigious America's Cup race series.

However, the brothers' bond is tested as they both fall for Edith, a captivating Irish maid. Family loyalty is at stake, and now the pursuit of sporting fame threatens to drive them apart. Complicating matters further, someone must stay behind to care for their ailing parents. When a near-fatal accident leaves one brother hospitalized and consumed by revenge, a compassionate Latina nurse helps him heal, showing him a path beyond bitterness. Meanwhile, the millionaire yachtsmen harbor dark secrets. A glamorous concubine is hidden away on a luxury yacht, leading to blackmail and scandal.

As the bachelor heir to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune grapples with his future, preferring the freedom of the sea over his family's wealth, the Haskell brothers must navigate their own choices between love, family, and ambition. Can they overcome the trials that threaten to tear them apart, or will the winds of change leave them stranded in the past?

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Dolby, whose 1980s music I listened to frequently on and off the radio, decided to tell us a story that compels and entertains; what lies under that hood, like with his music, is clever and quiet social commentary.

When one wishes to comment unfavorably on the accumulation of wealth, one is well advised to create a story of talented underdogs succeeding. That's exactly what this story is. I'm not recapitulating the plot, go read the synopsis abpve, but I will say that every single beat is hit. The straight-people sex is there, though it was never so in-your-face as to cause me to put the book down.

The unsuccessful, in my opinion, facet of the tale is the brotherly rivalry. There's a solid motivation for it. The resolution of their feelings is handled in a way I myownself found facile and oddly dissonant, like a different story was going on that I had not noticed until it popped up at a weird time.

All that said, I'd've felt amply rewarded if I'd picked the book up solely based on the author's name recognition. He knows exactly what he's talking about. He has a clear vision for his plot. He created characters I never doubted were founded in the reality of human experience, not forged on the anvil of plot necessity. I do wish the key change in the brothers's rivalry at its resolution had not rung false in my own ear.

A read I'd recommend to anyone who likes historical novels about rich people and their milieu...from a different angle.