Japhet, in Search of a Father
1836
A foundling raised in the London Foundling Hospital, Japhet has spent his entire young life wondering about the father he has never known. When he finally leaves the institution, he embarks on a series of adventures through early 19th century England, taking positions with an apothecary and various other masters, each escape bringing him closer to the truth of his birth while also landing him in increasingly absurd predicaments. His charm, quick wit, and willingness to bend the truth serve him well in a world that judges orphans harshly, yet his deepest longing remains finding the man who abandoned him as an infant. Marryat, the master of sea adventures, turns his attention to a different kind of voyage here: the search for selfhood in a society that defines worth by bloodline and birth. The novel crackles with satirical energy as Japhet maneuvers through class boundaries, exposing the hypocrisy of respectable society while proving that identity is something you claim, not something that claims you.
