Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham is, yes, another historical fiction novel, set in the 1700-1800s. It details the adventures and trials Nathaniel Bowditch, a genius mathmetician, faced on his way to becoming a renowned navigator.

This book review will give you my highlights, lowlights, and insights into Carry On, Mr. Bowditch.

Characters

Favorite character: Nat, aka MR. NATHANIEL BOWDITCH. (I have very unsurprising character choices, I know.)

Nat was my favorite because I really related to his desire to just LEARN. Except he was really good at math. Definitely can’t relate to that.

He was also my favorite because…

• he wasn’t arrogant or condesending about his brilliance
• he was humble
• he was genuinely interested in making sailing safer, easier, and better.
• he was funny and likable
• he was willing to push his limits to fix errors

I loved the way each character lent something to the plotline…even if I disliked a few of them.

For example: Nat’s big sister Lizza brought the most loyal, touching sister-brother relationship, and her death marked a growth point in Nat’s life.

Another character who did the same sort of thing was Captain Prince. This experienced sailor pushed Nat further than I think Nat would have gone on his own, and I think he helped Nat learn to trust himself, just by the way he treated him.

There are so many other examples—all the characters had something to offer.

Setting and Storyline

The setting was enthralling. I LOVED the east-coast, foggy, shipyard vibe in Salem, Nat’s hometown.

I was also really intrigued by the places he got to travel to–Phillipenes, Sumatra, Spain, and Portugal, to name a few.

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The storyline was equally pleasing. The old-fashioned, lively writing style kept me engaged the whole time. I loved the fast-paced action scenes, heartfelt at-home scenes, and everything in between.

Overall Rating

Nat is a likable and relatable protagonist, at least to me. His life story is so incredible. He did so much, from figuring out how to calculate lunars to publishing his own book.

He truly did help make sailing safer, better, and easier for the sailors in the future.

However, I also really understood his desire to learn about things, and his disappointment at not being able to attend the local school.

Of course, there were things I wasn’t a huge fan of. I didn’t like Nat’s wives, or his other older sister, Mary. But overall, I really did like this book, and highly recommend it.

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If you’ve never read this book, you’re either confused or mad at me for spoiling a few things. Sorry! I didn’t summarize the actual story because this is a review, and reviews typically say what the person thinks of the book, not what the book is about. So–yes, I’m sorry.

You should still go read it!