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The way we started reading Ahab's Wife was an interesting experience for me.  I can't really remember ever starting a book in the middle without knowing about the beginning.  I actually think reading the book this way enhanced the experience.  I was confused about what was going on and I wasn't sure who some of the characters were, but I still liked the book.  The whole plot is just interesting and entertaining and the writing style flows really well.  

It is pretty clear that the book operates around a huge choice that was made by Una, which would make it a natural ending to our course about choice.  There are a few other connections, such as cannibalism and also her description about preparing to food on the ship, but the thing that stuck out to me the most was that her actions were really just a result of her own choice.  There really wasn't a huge dramatic event that made her change her identity and run away on a whaling boat, she did it because she choose to, without any other prompt.  I think this is a good way to end the course because Una clearly explains most of her decisions, even smaller choices she makes and it shows decisions that made without much outside influence.  Una's decision to disguise herself as a boy and go on a whaling ship was a choice that she made completely on her own, and I think ending the course reading about such a choice is a great finale.