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Pages: 108
Goes Well With: Sandwiches with dill pickles, followed by ginger biscuits and a fine cup of chamomile tea
In 1790, broken-hearted Mary Sweet walks the stony beach near Lobster Cove, mourning the death of her father. Beach and village are beautifully described by author Sarita Leone and evocatively brought to life with a wealth of vivid characters and well-drawn lives. But who is the stranger, in need of a place to stay and likewise seeking solace amid nature’s beauty? Could he be that one man Mary has prayed that God might send into her life? Or will Henry destroy all she holds dear?
Evocative descriptions, naturally old-fashioned dialogue, and well-researched ways of life draw readers straight into the world of The Pirate’s Revenge from first scene to last. Women pick and pickle cucumbers. Men risk the dangers of waves and storms at sea. And death is an essential part of life, as is a low-key but genuine faith in God. Good humor plays its part, too, in the gentle fun of two young people just getting to know each other, treading carefully around the proprieties of a woman never showing her ankles, and each keeping secrets from the other.
Mary is a pleasingly nuanced character, not necessarily ladylike, not absolutely always kind and forgiving, and occasionally maybe even given to a touch of strong language, privately applied to the whelk that damaged her toe so painfully when she kicked it. Meanwhile, Henry has hurts of his own and carelessly adds to them. “The harder path is often the one we need to take,” says a much-loved, well-remembered father, as trials and tribulations abound. And some wounds fester invisibly while others simply scar.
I love how these two characters, each damaged in their different ways, grow together in this tale. I love the details of lives well-lived in a world long-gone. But. most of all, I love the very different take on “revenge.” The Pirate’s Revenge is humorous and deep, an absorbing story, and a genuinely enjoyable, uplifting read.
