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(More customer reviews)Masters and Savages is a novel that will grab you by the throat and not let go. Set in the period immediately following the Civil War, the drama plays out aboard the clipper ship Isabel which is loaded with a cargo of contracted laborers from Angola destined for new colonies of American emigrants settling in Brazil. The excitement begins as the vessel runs a blockade of British war ships, and the action escalates as conflict, disease, and Mother Nature mark the transit across the Atlantic. Characters reminiscent of those created by Herman Melville or Jack London violently confront each other and their predicament. The tale is told by a former Confederate officer, Whitfield Stone, son of one of the leaders of the settlement colonies. Obsessed with protecting an 11 year-old girl suffering from Ophthalmia, Whitfield plays a crucial role in the conflict between his former commanding officer and the ship's captain. As events unfold, Whitfield recalls episodes from his earlier years as a soldier and citizen of his beloved Virginia. Dawsey, a recognized author and scholar of religious studies, has created a gripping account, and along the way he weaves into the narrative fundamental questions about survival, sacrifice, and redemption. As one might expect of a story about people dealing with very harsh circumstances, the narrative is not for the faint of heart. Violence and suffering are very much in evidence, but in no way is their presence gratuitous. Nor do they mask the nobler virtues of love, kindness, and loyalty also on display. In summary, first-time author Dawsey has done a superb job of characterization and storytelling. The book is highly recommended.
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