"Envisioned as a 'nocturne,' Steve Amick's playful, multilayered novel expansively retells Eugene Field's famed verse 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.' In the fishing village of Scheveningen in 1889, three men build and secretly launch an unorthodox fishing vessel, departing from the long tradition of netting herring using massive boats and large crews. Collaborating in this venture are Wyn van Winkel, a cavalier joker and opium addict currently AWOL from the Aceh War in Sumatra; Ned Nodder, a seasoned fisherman trying to support his family while plagued by narcolepsy and prophetic dreams; and Luuk Blenkin, a scattered young troubadour failing at love and searching for his place in the world. As formally innovative as the "picarooner" this mismatched trio construct, the narrative--sparked by the lines of the "Dutch lullaby"--flits between reality and irreality as the inexplicable adventure unfolds. In the spirit of a nocturne, Steve Amick envelops his characters in the world of night and dreams. Lyrical, historical, surprising, magical, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, You Shall See the Beautiful Things will make you look at the stars--and herring--in a new light."
