Karen from the Mill: A Novel from the Golden Age of Sail [Paperback]

Anne Ipsen (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press (May 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592981070
• ISBN-13: 978-1592981076
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,853,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Denmark, but moved with my family to the Boston area as a teenager. After graduating from Radcliffe College (as it was then) I lived in Concord, Massachusetts for a few years before going to graduate school at Harvard and then becoming a professor at the University of Minnesota. While in academia, I published innumerable scientific articles as well as a memoir, "A Child's Tapestry of War-Denmark 1940-45," and a historical novel about life on an island and sailing the Tall Ships in the 19th century. Leaving teaching and research to devote more time to writing, my husband and I moved back to Massachusetts where I completed another historical novel about immigrant life in Minnesota, "Running before the Prairie Wind."

When I lived in Concord I was captivated by the sense of history that pervades this special town and its three rivers. My imagination sparked and eventually a determination grew to write a novel about its early years. This is now "At the Concord of the Rivers" which will be released in March 2011. The story is told from the point of view of history graduate student, Abigail, who abruptly finds herself back in the period she has been studying. I used her time travel as a device for envisioning Puritan life in the seventeenth century through modern eyes. A central theme of the plot is the relationship between Abigail and half-Indian, Paul, both of whom are caught between two cultures. I suppose this theme comes out of my own attempts to balance my cultural heritage with my New England upbringing. Like all my work it is as much a story about time and place as about the people who live there.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A romantic and moving story of making difficult choices, June 26, 2005

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Karen from the Mill: A Novel from the Golden Age of Sail (Paperback)

Set in 1874, Karen From The Mill: A Novel From The Golden Age Of Sail by author Anne Ipsen is the story of a sixteen-year-old young woman who yearns for a more exciting life, the hand in marriage of a handsome sailor, and possibly even adventure on the high seas. Her mother strives to dissuade her from following her dream, while her possible suitor has his own trials and distractions to contend with. A romantic and moving story of making difficult choices, imbued with especial love for life on the sea.