Daughters of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt

 Nantucket Island in the 1840s is a land of Quakers, whalers, and very independent women. Three of them are the focus of this compelling story centered around a fire that destroyed many of the homes and businesses on the island. Eliza is the wife of a whaling boat captain--who has been at sea for 3 years. She is running out of money, worries about losing the family home, and is getting angry at her husband for not explaining why his return has been delayed so long. Maria (Mitchell) is an actual person, an astronomer and member of a Quaker family, though she has become a Unitarian. Meg is a very pregnant Black woman married to a successful businessman. The fire that ravages the town brings the 3 women together in ways they never could have expected.

The way this book ends, I have to wonder if the author isn't planning to use this tome as the starting point for a series, which I would welcome. They're interesting characters and it's a memorable setting.