When Ahabs mother dies in childbirth the infants gruff father places his son in the care of his pious aunt It is Rose who sparks the imagination of the young boy by teaching him to read the Bible though when Ahab is reclaimed by his father a decade later the growing boy strives to become a hunter like his old man Later after Ahab warms to his fathers lover Louise the old man dies and the boy is sent back to his Godfearing aunt Rejecting Rose and her abusive husband Henrys unforginv brand of discipline and infuriated that his aunt confiscated the locket given to him by Louise young Ahab boldly stages his own kidnapping as an ingenious escape plan