The Navigator of New York [Paperback]

Wayne Johnston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2003

Devlin Stead grows up a lonely orphan in late 19th century Newfoundland. When he begins receiving letters from the esteemed but mysterious explorer Dr. Frederick Cook, they entirely change his understanding of who he is and what he might become. Invited by Dr. Cook to become his apprentice, Dev eagerly heads for New York City, where he is introduced into society and joins his mentor in epic attempts to reach the North Pole before Cook’s archrival Robert Edwin Peary. When Dev is thrust into international controversy, he must master a series of revelations about his family that will determine his fate.

In spellbinding prose, the author of the acclaimed Colony of Unrequited Dreams recreates the romance, the politics and the peril of the legendary race for the North Pole. Brilliantly rooted in history, The Navigator of New York is a fascinating exploration of the quest for discovery, and how it is remembered.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The race to get to the North Pole frames a young explorer's effort to unearth his family history in Johnston's latest, a captivating narrative that delves into both the noble and the seedier aspects of the human need to discover and explore. Devlin Stead is the orphaned protagonist raised by his aunt and uncle in Newfoundland after his physician father dies in a polar expedition under the aegis of Robert Edwin Peary and Dr. Frederick Cook. The boy's sheltered existence is shattered when he receives a series of letters from Cook that reveal the explorer-who had committed an indiscretion with Devlin's mother-to be the boy's real father. Cook invites Devlin to New York, where he takes him under his wing and makes him his assistant. Their strange relationship culminates when father and son journey to Greenland to rescue the stubborn Peary, who has become stranded while trying to reach the pole and refuses to give up and return. Devlin then becomes deeply involved in Cook's effort to beat Peary to the pole, participating in Cook's infamous 1908 attempt that was decried as a hoax. Johnston (The Colony of Unrequited Dreams; Baltimore's Mansion, etc.) occasionally gets overly caught up in the details of Devlin's murky personal history yet delivers a satisfying character study, and the polar explorations generate considerable narrative tension when the family subplot flattens out. Johnston's ability to illuminate historical settings and situations continues to grow with each book, and this powerful effort is his best to date.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

As with Colony of Unrequited Dreams, Johnston draws on historical events to build his new novel. A fierce duel was waged during the years 1907-09 between Adm. Robert Peary and Dr. Frederick Cook, each claiming to have been the first to reach the North Pole. Against the backdrop of this dispute, Johnston tells the story of a lonely Newfoundland boy named Devlin Stead who grows up under a shadow because his parents reputedly committed suicide. As Devlin observes, "I could think of no greater thing than to be an explorer, the epitome of my most cherished belief, which was that a man's fate was not determined by the past." In fact, Devlin's fate is much in thrall to the past. The thrill of polar exploration, the beauty and terror of glaciers, and the horror of the long Arctic nights are splendidly evoked. The secrets of Devlin's parents are slowly revealed, adding intrigue and suspense to the last two-thirds of the book. For all collections of serious fiction.
Judith Kicinski, Sarah Lawrence Coll. Lib., Bronxville, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (September 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400031095
• ISBN-13: 978-1400031092
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,782,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent reconstruction, March 6, 2003

By 

helmont (new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Navigator of New York: A Novel (Hardcover)

Johnston's latest novel is an excellent reconstruction of the era of the great explorers -- with all its back-biting and egotism -- as well as a very fine description of New York as it turns into a world capital. Add to that is usual sensitive account of small town Canada and you get a wide-ranging, subtle and fascinating taleof hope and loss. recommended

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somebody doesn't think much of Mr. Peary...., May 15, 2003

By 

Emperor Norton (Interstellar Suburbia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Navigator of New York: A Novel (Hardcover)

Some of the reviews here have been focussing on this book as a "revisionist history" re Peary and Arctic exploration, but that part of this book is secondary. The real focus of the book is Devlin Stead's life and discoveries about his family, whose story changes through several revelations throughout the book (maybe too many times would be one criticism of this book). Generally well-written and a good description of turn of the (20th) century New York and pre-Canada Newfoundland, recommended if you like a good historical read.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, but...., November 19, 2002

By 

tzadik "tzadik" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Navigator of New York: A Novel (Hardcover)

The book captivated me early on with its historical setting. It's beautifully written, a joy to spend time with. Unfortunately, I feel that the story could have unfolded differently.

The main aspects of the story are young Stead trying to navigate late Victorian uptight society while discovering various aspects of his infamous explorer family, and the attempt to be the first person to the North Pole. The exploration stories play out well, and one wishes even more time had been spent on them. Nonetheless, he is nothing but a passenger on these explorations, and is taught none of the vital technical skills required for navigation and discovery.

The family story is essentially the meat of it, yet it ends up being told in a clumsy matter....how he can still trust his father by the end is unfathomable. There seem to be these soap-opera revelatory moments when yet another confession changes everything. Some detective work or other means of discovery might have been more interesting. Very regularly Stead is confronted with yet another true version or account of the same story. His social skills develop much more quickly than his exploration skills, even for a humorless, self-conscious and charmless character like him and his father.

Ultimately, the story was not satisfying, but it was written well enough that I would recommend it anyway.