In The Heart of the Sea tells the story of, the Essex, a ship that suffered the same fate as the Moby Dick’s Pequod. The crew had put out in the whaleboats after whales when, to their chagrin, one large sperm whale turned and rammed the ship, sinking it. The men were left in three whaleboats in the Pacific. In The Heart of the Sea is the account of their struggle to survive as they attempt to reach South America. The story of the Essex was one of two events that led to Herman Melville writing Moby Dick.
In First Fury, Ann overhears the tale of the Essex. For someone like Ann, who had never even seen the sea, such a tale would have caused visions of such beasts waiting under every swell. Even when she is told that this is the only documented case of such a sinking, she continues to worry.
First Fury is available as an eBook at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, And on my web site.