BEEBE and BOSTELMANN by Kent Politsch – Historical Fiction, Historical Biographical Fiction, Deep Sea Exploration

Dive deep into a three-part saga illuminating underwater discovery in Kent Politsch’s historical fiction novel, Beebe and Bostelmann.

Well-researched with a strong environmental focus, Beebe and Bostelmann captures the incredible accomplishments of a multi-faceted naturalist and adventurer. But this charismatic man, Will Beebe, navigates his own emotional journey as well as the deep sea. Collaborating with him, Else Bostelmann brings life to his oceanographic discoveries through her artwork.

In 1929, Will Beebe, newly wed to a young female writer almost half his age, sets out to understand the deep sea. As an ornithologist and explorer, he ventures nearly half a mile beneath the ocean’s surface.

In his passionate quest, he connects with Otis Barton. The famous fortune seeker designs an enclosed submersible able to withstand the pressure of record-breaking dives.

With entertaining pitches and backing from various patrons, the project begins south of Bermuda. Once there, the research team gathers at a laboratory set up on Nonsuch Island. However, technical delays, necessary testing, precarious refinements, and a stock market crash threaten the completion of the “bathysphere.” But Beebe and Barton persevere. They put their trust, and lives, in the hands of the invention.

Politsch delivers brilliantly detailed descriptions of Beebe’s various sightings. Whether “coral clinging, weaving seaweeds dangling … tissue-thin pearl shells … ” an unknown quartet of fish, with “bird-like beaks … standing upright on a thin tailfin … colors brilliant” or bioluminescent fish in an abyss likened to “a moonless starlit night” – the intricate  illuminate the nuances of this far-reaching, mysterious seascape.

Politsch weaves themes of love, loss, and heartfelt burdens through his story.

While Else Bostelmann employs her unique ability to translate Beebe’s reports into beautiful artistic renderings, Beebe enjoys an open marriage – disregarding his wife’s feelings on the matter; indeed, he has several romantic liaisons. Bostelmann proves a character with the skill to observe human dynamics taking place within the island and its work. And, ultimately, this story shows the need for forgiveness and letting go of resentments.

Beebe clearly possessed the ability to charm and attract women through both charismatic and intellectual means.

However, Politsch distinguishes him as a mentor who gave women opportunities in the scientific field. The idea that “There is nothing about science that makes a man wiser than a woman …” may have been Will Beebe’s attitude regarding gender equality at the beginning of the 20^th century, though his many liaisons would certainly cloud a person’s image in society today.

Politsch’s final pages include short biographical sketches of the real-life individuals from whom this work derives. In addition to the intertwining human interest aspect of Beebe and Bostelmann, the author details the many dangerous dives far beneath the water’s surface. These dives highlight the significance of the ocean in the origins of life on our planet – and our ultimate future.

Amidst the wonder of the sea, Will Beebe and Else Bostelmann play an essential part in the advancement of oceanic science. Beebe and Bostelmann serves as an artful and engaging odyssey introducing their important work to an audience that might otherwise be unaware of their significant place in history.