Fable

The cutthroat world of the Narrows forces Young’s characters to find a precarious balance between heeding the perils of attachment and fulfilling their need for belonging. This theme is closely linked to the novel’s genre as a maritime adventure. Seafaring is essential to the region’s commerce, and crews must work together to survive the hazards of the sea, storms, and rival ships. Because of these external threats, there are rules to minimize tension among crews: “There were only two things strictly forbidden on a ship because both could get you or your shipmates killed: love and drunkenness” (88). In this story, the couples who break this rule face hardship. For example, the tragic ending of Saint and Isolde’s love story shapes the plot. The name of Fable’s mother brings to mind the tale of Tristan and Isolde. The classic love story has been interpreted by various writers through the ages, including Béroul in the 12th-century epic poem The Romance of Tristan. Isolde’s literary associations with a famous example of doomed love accentuate the character’s connection to the perils of attachment. Young uses nautical metaphors to express how losing Isolde changes Saint: “She was the pattern of stars that he navigated by, the sum of all directions on his compass.