National Book Award Finalist Ethan Rutherford at Trumbull Library: North Sun Author Talk & Book Sign

Join the Trumbull Library for a special afternoon with acclaimed Connecticut author Ethan Rutherford, whose debut novel, North Sun; Or, The Voyage of the Whaleship Esther, was a 2025 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction.

Set during the waning days of the American whaling industry, North Sun follows the crew of the Esther as they sail from New Bedford in 1878 toward the remote Chukchi Sea. Strange, haunting, and darkly atmospheric, the novel explores ambition, survival, family, and the devastating consequences of humanity’s desire to conquer the natural world.

North Sun has earned widespread acclaim, including the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for Literature from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, and was named one of the best books of 2025 by Barack Obama, Vanity Fair, Literary Hub, The Strategist, The Independent Book Review, and The Globe & Mail.

Rutherford will join us for a conversation about the novel, his research, and the history and mythology behind this unusual whaling story, followed by an audience Q&A.

A reception and book signing will follow, with books available for purchase courtesy of Black Rock Books.

Registration is encouraged.