Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16698 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780545085724
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Weyn's historical novel climaxes with the sinking of the Titanic, but it begins in 1898 when narrator Jane, the second of five sisters, is four years old and observing her mother, a medium, contact the spirit world for the first time. That same life-changing day, on their way to a spiritualist community outside Buffalo, N.Y., the newly-fatherless family is caught in an artificial earthquake caused by real-life scientist Nikola Tesla. The beginning of the novel centers on the girls' mother's spiritual work, with Jane unsure of her mother's clairvoyance. Science has an equally important role, as Jane becomes obsessed with Tesla, following his career in the paper and then seeking him out. The story's pace is slow, but it picks up as the years pass, and Jane falls in love with Tesla's assistant, Thad. After a trip to England, the sisters find themselves on the Titanic-the author uses a touch of the fantastic to provide a (mostly) happy conclusion. The interplay of science, spirituality, history and romance will satisfy. Ages 12-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up—Jane begins her tale with her childhood, as her recently widowed mother struggles to care for her family. While in New York City, they are assisted during an earthquake by the scientist Nikola Tesla, who explains that he caused the event with his latest invention, a device based on the concept that "everything vibrates." Inspired by this idea, and the possibility that it applies to the spirit world, Jane's mother decides to move her daughters to a community of mediums in upstate New York and support them by pursuing her "gift." When Jane is 16, she travels to New York City with her older sister to interview Tesla for a journalism contest and meets his assistant Thad, adding a romantic interest. Several months later, Jane's family travels to England for an international convention of spiritualists. Afterward, two of her sisters board the Titanic, and when their mother hears a prediction that the ship will sink, Jane tries to retrieve them, but is stuck onboard. She makes the ill-fated journey along with Thad and Tesla (who has brought several inventions that could either save the ship or destroy it). Told in gripping first-person narrative, this novel features interesting characters and creates a strong sense of time and place, while exploring the mysteries of the spirit world. An author's note separates fiction from fact and shares further details about real people and events.—Samantha Larsen Hastings, West Jordan Public Library, UT END

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Plenty of fiction has been set aboard the Titanic, but Weyn’s take on the infamous disaster is wholly original. For starters, the doomed ocean liner doesn’t appear until the book is two-thirds finished. Instead of using the tragedy as a plot engine, Weyn employs it as but one of the historical forces she juggles to propel her unusual story. Most central is the turn-of-the-century spiritualist movement: Jane is one of five daughters born to a well-known spirit medium, and although she wants to believe in the practices of her mother—and particularly her eerie twin sisters—she finds herself constantly struggling at the intersection of faith and science. The latter camp is represented by real-life scientist Nikola Tesla; his inventions indirectly lead to Jane meeting her true love (and, in a neat bit of historical revisionism, even have something to do with the Titanic’s fate). Various other luminaries drift in and out of the story, and only occasionally do their appearances feel forced. The ending, too, requires a leap of faith some readers may not be willing to take, but the sweeping action, mysticism, and romance should ensure that most will gladly take the plunge. A wonderful author’s note clearly sifts fact from fiction. Grades 8-11. --Daniel Kraus

Customer Reviews

Confusing and dull
I had very high hopes for Distant Waves. The sinking of the Titanic is one of those historical event that has always fascinated me. I'm very sad to report that Distant Waves did even come close to living up to my expectations.

The thing that most annoyed me about Distant Waves is that the Titanic doesn't even make an appearance until 200 pages into the book! The first 200 pages or so instead focus on Janet, her mother, and her four sisters. I found none of these characters to be particularly endearing. All of Janet's sisters were pretty much interchangeable. There were several times when I found myself mixing them up. Janet was a very flat character. I didn't find her to be relatable and nothing she did ever really pulled me into the story. Most of the secondary characters were also very flat with the exception of Tesla. In fact, the only parts of the book that I enjoyed usually involved him. I really wished more of the story had actually taken place on the Titanic.

The supernatural elements of the Distant Waves did little to add to the story. There were a couple of times when ghosts might have been contacted. The sinking of the Titanic was predicted by two of Janet's sisters. Not that this mattered because I already knew that they ship was going to sink. I just didn't really see the point of adding all of this supernatural stuff to the story. It really did nothing to make Distant Waves interesting.

If there was one thing that I enjoyed about Distant Waves it would be the historical setting. I really loved reading about what New York City was like during that period in history. It was also kind of fun to see which famous historical people were going to pop up next. Still, this was not enough to redeem Distant Waves in my eyes. I would not recommend this book

Best book I've read in a year
Wow! What an exciting great book. I couldn't put it down. It's about the Titanic but also so much more--contacting ghosts, the bond between four sisters, relations between mother and daughter, all the science that was happening at that time. I can see that the "waves" part has a lot of meanings like electrical waves, waves of future happenings, spirit waves, as well as the waves surrounding the Titanic. You have GOT TO check this book out. I found more about this author at [...]. The only thing bad is that the gorgeous cover is so girlie because boys would like it too. They can take the book jacket off, I guess.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
What would you do if you had foreseen the sinking of the Titanic?

DISTANT WAVES is one of many re-tellings of the mysterious happenings surrounding the greatest shipwreck of all time, but Suzanne Weyn's version stands out with its breadth of historical research and, most importantly, with its allusions to the paranormal.

Maude Oneida Taylor is a famed psychic, one of the most respected clairvoyants in Spirit Vale, a small liberal town teeming with spiritualists and feminists. Mrs. Taylor's five daughters grow up in rather unusual circumstances, and none of them are typical American girls.

Mimi, the oldest, is stunningly beautiful, leaving home to pursue a more luxurious lifestyle and travel through Europe, though she can never truly escape her heritage. Jane, a budding journalist, is the most logical of the bunch, and the story is told through her perspective. Emma and Amelie, twins, seem to have inherited some of their mother's powers. Blythe, the youngest of the group, is completely mesmerized by the power that accompanies fame and fortune.

Growing up in Spirit Vale, the Taylor girls have seen so many clairvoyants, some who perhaps really have the gift and others who are clearly frauds. Jane has even seen her mother cheat, scribbling her own messages during "automatic writing" that are supposedly from loved ones that have passed on. There have been times though, when even Jane's jaded self doesn't know what to believe, such as during her sister Amelie's dangerous sleepwalking episodes.

Jane's life is influenced greatly by the ideas and attitudes of physicist Nikola Tesla. After a chance meeting in a man-made earthquake in New York City when she was only four, she has followed his career carefully, regarding him as a father-figure of sorts. Tesla's manipulation of electricity and inventive mind are incredible, only eclipsed by his generosity and lack of capitalist greed. Though Jane admires Tesla, it is his handsome assistant, Thad, who captures her heart.

As the Titanic sets sail from London, all five sisters find themselves on board, despite multiple predictions of its sinking. Sailing toward what might very well be their demise, Jane and her sisters must hope that somebody or something is out there watching out for them.

Weyn clearly understands the time period thoroughly, though occasionally the incorporation of facts seems slightly forced and almost weighs the story down. Readers do gain a wealth of knowledge, including little-known trivia about many celebrities of the era.

This book is a must-read for anyone who remembers Leonardo DiCaprio's "I'm king of the world!" line from the movie, or for anyone who has ever entertained the idea that maybe clairvoyancy isn't so far-fetched after all.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson