The Whaler

In the first novel of The Island of Sylt trilogy by Ines Thorn, set in 1764 on Germany's North Sea Coast, young Maren Luersen faces a daunting choice between love and security. Living in the perilous village of Rantum, she is torn between her deep affection for the impoverished Thies Heinen and a marriage proposal from the wealthy Captain Rune Boyse, who offers her family a chance for a better life. When tragedy forces her to embark on a dangerous whale hunt with the captain, Maren must confront the possibility of a transformed life and heart as she sails into the icy unknown.