pickA favorite read of 2015 that I reread this spring & loved all the more. Following the late 18th century voyages of the Astrolabe and Boussole, two French frigates tasked w global exploration, scientific inquiry, & cartographic correction. Their journey ends in tragedy. Each chapter follows a different crew member. While the author has keen sympathy for the French expedition, she doesn't make light of their hubris and colonialism.
No one knew what to make of the new galley stoves when they arrived. There were two -- one for each ship -- and they came by boat, first for the Boussole and then for the Astrolabe, disassembled into their cumbersome components and accompanied by a foul-mouthed shipyard locksmith charged with installing them.
pickGreat book written from multiple perspectives, grounded in fact and geography but exploring the human emotions on the Lapérouse expedition. Few non-French-male voices, but def important ones. Also, Fun Photo Friday with Noodle reading over Sherlock's shoulder ???
Landfalls: A Novel | 
