Cindy Vallar's Blog

Charles Johnson's "General History of the Pyrates" and Global Commerce by Noel Chevalier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


We tend to view pirates of the past through colored lenses tainted by the present. What we believe may or may not be true, not just because of this significant passage of time but also because an 18th-century author interlaced fact and fiction to create a bestseller – which was most likely his original intent. Today, this work is more often than not viewed as a primary historical document, one written by a contemporary of the pirates, and he may have been one or knew some personally. But what if this collection of “true-crime stories” is far more complex than that? Instead of writing a simple biography on pirates of the day, the author actually wished to provide commentary on commerce, ethics, the law, and politics in the early 1700s.

This is the premise behind Chevalier’s latest book. He makes it clear that when we talk about A General History of the Pyrates, we are not discussing a single edition. This bestseller was sold in different renderings over the course of four years and differences exist between them. Chevalier examines four editions – all published over a four-year period – rather than just using the first published book. These are the original version, published in May 1724 by Charles Rivington; a second edition published in August of that year by Thomas Warner; a third book in 1725 by the same publisher that added an additional pirate; and the 1728 version printed by Thomas Woodward, which consisted of two volumes.

While Chevalier clearly demonstrates that General History is actually a multi-layered book, he also delves into scholars’ attempts to resolve a mystery surrounding this book. For about three centuries, the true identity of its author, Captain Charles Johnson, has been guessed at but never positively pinpointed.

Although the title suggests that Johnson’s book is a history, it’s really a collection of biographies on pirates who lived during a short time span that has become known as the “golden age of piracy.” Those who read below the surface will find references to points of particular interest during the 1720s: colonialism, ethics, politics, society, and trade. According to Chevalier, “Johnson’s General History uses its pirate subject as mirrors of the age, ultimately suggesting that, odious as they are, pirates differ from better-placed criminals only in class, and in the hard punishments meted out to them that their betters almost always escaped.” (xii)

Trade, colonialism, and piracy are intricately entwined, for it's impossible to have one without the others. While the expansion of markets and products lead to greater wealth, this wealth comes at a cost because some trade relies on human trafficking and inhuman working conditions.

Johnson’s commentary may have been about the world in which he lived, but at least some of these observations can be associated with current situations. For example, Sir Robert Walpole was a political powerhouse whose dominance then has relevance to government today. Another similarity involves socioeconomic realities. Changing attitudes are equally relevant, for its easy for friends to become enemies and vice versa.

This volume – part of the Transits: Literature, Thought & Culture, 1650-1850 series – is divided into two sections: “Monsters” and “Great Men” with an interlude that discusses social ethics of the 1720s. Pirates are not stick figures; they are multi-faceted beings just like any other human being. The “Monster” chapters show how General History pirates fit that persona. They threaten the traditional social order. They don’t conform to expectations. They live on the margins. This is why they are monsters who need to be prosecuted and eradicated. Chevalier selects several of Johnson’s pirates to demonstrate this: Blackbeard, Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and Edward Low.

The interlude explores the ethics of wealth and colonial expansion. It may seem odd, but pirates were essential to global commerce. There is ambiguity here because some colonists and merchants welcomed the trade pirates brought, whereas England saw them as interlopers. The latter must be punished; the former must conform. Chevalier focuses on several period publications and the aftermath of the South Sea Bubble. Piracy, however, is not a key subject in the interlude; what he discusses is pertinent to General History and how monsters can also be “Great Men.”

Just because the government or society sees pirates as monsters, they don’t necessarily see themselves that way. While similarities exist between merchants and pirates, it’s not okay for the latter to act like the former. Doing so threatens the social order and makes it difficult for respectable people to understand what “greatness” means. For example, Johnson’s pirates are shown as “intelligent, resourceful, capable leaders,” but in the blink of an eye, they are also portrayed as “violent and cruel.” (110) This ambiguity is illustrated with Bartholomew Roberts, whose piratical activities and captaincy Chevalier likens to a professional businessman. This section also looks at how England developed a proper manner for punishing pirates – one that was public and ritualistic.

To enrich the narrative there are illustrations and an appendix listing the various editions of General History. Endnotes, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and an index are included.

Chevalier mentions in his preface that he hopes to “open a fuller exploration of General History and its complexities.” (xii) He certainly achieves this, providing readers of Johnson’s book with new ways to examine the pirates within the framework of the society in which they operated. Instead of just seeing General History as an historical document, Chevalier shows that it has far greater depth and is an important example of period literature. As he phrases it, the book “is a study of the phenomenon of piracy as it has manifested itself in Britain between 1714 and 1724 – specifically, the years following the War of the Spanish Succession, the arrival of the Hanoverian monarchy, and the ascendancy of the Whig government.” (28-29) This is key because these and other events pertaining to global commerce impact how Johnson portrays the pirates in the various editions. Although a number of articles have been written about Johnson and General History, Chevalier is the first to examine the book in greater depth as a literary work. In doing so, he illuminates what readers may not understand and provides context to better enrich the reading experience. This allows us to see these pirates as Johnson saw them and to better understand where our ideas of piracy come from.

Even if studies of 18th-century literature aren’t your forte, Chevalier’s book is essential reading. Without it, your understanding of golden age pirates lacks depth because what you read and who they truly were are not and cannot be the same. Highly recommended.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Chevalier....)



View all my reviews

The Pirate Rabbi by David Sherrin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Sam, a young lad who lives in Amsterdam in the late 1500s, wants to pursue two occupations when he grows up. Being a rabbi will follow in his father’s footsteps. His weekly interactions with sailors make him long for life at sea . . . as a pirate.

During one of their weekly visits to the docks, he and his father encounter a hungry boy with red hair. His father counsels Sam about helping and caring for strangers, and they give the lad fresh bread. When at dinner that evening, Sam announces his decision. Rather than dissuade him, his father agrees that being aboard a ship is fun, but helping others is important both to them and oneself.

Sam actually becomes a well-respected rabbi who helps his community as well as his friends who go to sea. One day, the prince asks for Rabbi Sam’s help. Pirates have seized a Dutch ship and are holding hostages. The prince wants Rabbi Sam to suggest a way to rescue them. Instead of just giving advice, Rabbi Sam volunteers to go to sea himself, and he and his sailor friends, as well as members of the synagogue, set sail to search for and rescue the hostages.

The Pirate Rabbi is based on Samuel Pallache’s life as a merchant, religious leader, and pirate rabbi. The story, written for young pirates aged five to eight, is a captivating tale filled with adventure and the message of helping others. The colorful illustrations are realistic and provide an excellent mirror to the story. Together, they offer young pirates a noteworthy introduction to Jews and to pirates, without the blood, violence, and prejudice that is often entwined with pirate tales and which have roles in the true story of this pirate. At the end of the story, Sherrin summarizes what is known about the real pirate rabbi and offers a few fun facts about pirates. This is a great book for parents to read with their children, and even adult pirates will learn along the way.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Sherrin.html)



View all my reviews

Captain Ogle's Cup: A Pirate Adventure by Robert Blyth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


At the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England, there is an intriguing artifact made from a coconut shell. On the exterior, three engravings are visible in panels formed by the silver mount affixed to a vertical stem with a circular base. Visitors may simply see this as uncommon and unique; after all, it’s not made from the usual crystal or glass. One artwork portrays a warship, similar to one involved in a battle with pirates in 1722. Delving deeper into the cup’s history, we discover a connection to an infamous pirate of the golden age and the nearly forgotten pirate hunter who brought about his demise.

Within the pages of this latest addition to the Royal Museums Greenwich Spotlight series, readers learn about Bartholomew Roberts and Chaloner Ogle. Their lives are intertwined but they never meet face to face. Both men are of the sea. Roberts begins life as John Roberts, and is born in Wales in 1682. He serves as third mate on a slave ship when pirates attack the vessel in 1719. The capture of a rich prize – earning £2 per month as third mate versus almost £100 for a single day’s pirating – helps to persuade him to join the pirates. He changes his name to Bartholomew, and after his captain is slain in an ambush, his fellow mates elect Roberts to command their ship. It is the start of a prosperous, but short, career.

Ogle, born a year or two earlier than Roberts, joins the Royal Navy in 1697. Twenty-two years later, he is captain of HMS Swallow, a warship of 50 guns. Posted to West African waters in 1721, he begins hunting for pirates who prey on ships involved in the slave trade. He eventually tracks down the pirates. The encounter forever changes the lives of both captains and signals the decline of the most prolific period in pirate history.

This book tells both men’s stories and recounts the Battle of Cape Lopez in February 1722. It includes numerous illustrations and suggested titles for further reading. Aside from being a reminder of this fight, the cup and this book serve as a reminder of the men, the time, and the role global trade has in bringing them together. They also shine a light on Ogle for a change, instead of the pirate who plundered more than 400 vessels in three years.


(Review originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-hist...)



View all my reviews

Buried Treasure: A Pirate Miscellany by Robert Blyth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Have you ever wondered about when pirates first put to sea? Or what is appropriate pirate behavior? Or where pirates hang out, or what places they stay as far away from as possible? These are but a few of many questions that Buried Treasure answers as you explore “the murky and murderous world of pirates.” As you sail along, you also learn about piratical facts and those pesky myths that keep getting mixed up with the truth. Of equal importance, from a pirate perspective, is why the writers chose to name this book Buried Treasure when pirates are notorious for spending their loot as soon as they steal it.

Here's a list of the book’s main sections:
When Did Piracy Begin?
Rules Is Rules
Captain Johnson’s Pirate Phrases
What Did Pirates Look Like?
Piratical and Anti-Piratical Places
Pirate Ships
The Jolly Roger
Pirates in Fiction
Was Francis Drake a Pirate?
Christopher Myngs and the Art of Getting Away With It
Pirate Treasure (Not Buried)
Pirate Pardons
Risk Analysis: Would You Become a Pirate?

Joining you on this venture is Polly Roger. She’s a pirate parrot who’s familiar with all the proper lingo any self-respecting pirate uses. She provides mini-lessons to help increase your piratical vocabulary. There’s even information about a pirate’s favorite holiday, International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

There are illustrations, newspaper headlines – fictional but based on actual news clippings of the past – boxed historical facts and media morsels, and biographical highlights of notorious pirates. Among those highlighted within these pages are William Kidd, Bartholomew Roberts, Henry Every, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Zheng Yi Sao, Henry Morgan, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Stede Bonnet, Black Caesar, and Edward Low.

Buried Treasure is by no means a complete history. A fair amount is omitted, but that’s why other book titles are suggested. After all, this is a lighthearted introduction crammed with lots to pique a reader’s curiosity. Pirates young and old will enjoy this book, and even those who think they know a treasure chest full of piratical truths and falsehoods will find undiscovered gems. (I certainly did, and I’ve been reading and learning about pirates for a quarter of a century.)

For those who like challenges, I dare you to say Polly Roger’s piratical tongue twister three times fast. She also has one final thought to share. You are sure to enjoy this morsel of piratical humor as well.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Blyth.html)



View all my reviews

The Sugar Winds by Lyle Garford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In December 1799, Jamaica’s governor sets in motion a secret invasion plan under the direction of Royal Navy Captain Horatio Nelson and Army Captain John Polson. Nelson, new to the region, lacks knowledge of the Spanish Main, so Sir James Standish recommends Owen Spence. Forced out of the Royal Navy on false charges in the past, he is a trader who spies for the Crown.

Spain has entered America’s War of Independence, which leads to shortages and hardship in the Caribbean. Instrumental in bringing necessities to Barbados, Owen fears the situation will only worsen and further endanger England’s West Indian colonies. Aside from sharing his knowledge with Nelson and Polson, he also ventures to Spanish ports to garner information both for the planned invasion and for his spymaster.

The direness facing Owen’s family and friends on Barbados only worsens when a major hurricane strikes. Its damage is far-reaching, affecting many of the Caribbean islands, and Owen and his crew do what they can to supply food and materials to their home base, as well as islands that are technically enemy territory but whose inhabitants often provide him with vital information.

Equally concerning are the rumors of a French invasion. Owen must find out whether they are grounded in fact or are just misinformation. If the former, what is the enemy’s intended target? Ferreting out the truth requires courage, daring, and the willingness to infiltrate French territory. In doing so, he also learns that an old nemesis is present. What he does not know is that this nemesis is aware of his presence.

The book reads like a series of vignettes that relate historical events without deep involvement by the principal characters. Owen is an observer, an essential skill for someone who gathers information, but his being so means the reader also watches from the sidelines instead of being fully immersed in the story. For example, the fleet battle between the British and the French unfolds as Owen and his men watch from a safe distance, except when an enemy vessel intends to run through them to escape a Royal Navy ship. Owen’s impressions of what he witnesses or experiences are what help tie the narrative together.

Several interwoven threads also bind the story together. One involves Owen’s struggles between duty and love. Another concerns slavery, which is somberly portrayed when Owen and his crew come to the aid of a ship in distress. The third involves the unfair treatment of island inhabitants when outsiders invade. Garford does a commendable job showing the controversial complexity of Admiral Rodney, a man determined to enrich his pockets while also being a skilled tactician. Equally noteworthy is his portrayal of the Zong massacre, an incident that impacts Owen in unexpected ways as this trilogy draws to a close.

The Sugar Winds takes place in the opening years of the 1780s. It is a time when world events have a great impact on the West Indies, yet most readers are unaware of these incidents, such as the capture of St. Eustatius and the Battle of the Saintes. Readers familiar with the previous titles will enjoy finding out what happens to the various characters. Newcomers with an interest in obscure history will find the happenings here illuminating.



View all my reviews

A Pirate's Life No More: The Pardoned Pirates of the Bahamas by Steven C. Hahn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Before Woodes Rogers arrived to eradicate piracy in the Bahamas and take up his mantle as governor of the island, another man sailed into Nassau’s harbor in 1718. Captain Vincent Pearse of the Royal Navy carried with him King George’s Act of Grace in search of those “young, resolute, [and] wicked fellows” who wished to be pardoned for their crimes and rejoin society. (1) Benjamin Hornigold was one of the first to surrender; the notorious pirate captain turned pirate hunter until his demise at sea. He was a well-known scoundrel, but the majority of the other 208 pirates were simply names on a list.

While perusing Pearse’s three-page, handwritten document at Britain’s National Archives at Kew, Hahn wonders who these men are. How do they become pirates and what happens to them after they are pardoned? This book contains the stories of about 150 men, a third of whom remain in the Bahamas after receiving their absolution. Others return to their hometowns or start life anew in other colonies. William Smith, for example, spends many years at sea and becomes a successful merchant. Two of his descendants later marry into the family of a man who is elected President of the United States. Peter Goudet serves as Bahamas’ customs collector, as well as in the legislature. Other reformed pirates succumb soon after their surrenders. Hahn also delves into Pearse’s story and discovers some interesting details that suggest his relations with pirates aren’t as impartial as history leads us to believe. Even some of those included in his list are guilty by association rather than being pirates themselves.

A Pirate’s Life No More is part of the University of Georgia Press’s Early American Places series. In addition to a bibliography, notes, and an index, Hahn includes several illustrations, a table, maps, and an appendix of Pearse’s List of Pardoned Pirates. This last item provides brief biographical summaries of the pirates. If he was unable to locate additional information, only the pirate’s name is listed.

This volume shines a fascinating and unique spotlight on pirate history. Although primarily about the individuals whom Hahn traced, he also puts the time and places into historical perspective, such as why the Bahamas is more conducive to being a safe refuge for pirates and why events off the Florida coast give rise to their proliferation. Their rehabilitation is also explored – whether they return to their homes in New York, New England, or London, or choose to put down roots elsewhere. Placing these men in context makes their stories richer and more dynamic. Equally interesting are the answers to questions that crop up as a result of King George’s clemency, such as can the pirates keep their ill-gotten earnings, and does the forgiveness occur overnight. Aside from a brief period in their lives, these lesser-known pirates live ordinary lives, and Hahn has crafted a stellar addition to any piratical or maritime history collection.


This review was originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Hahn.html



View all my reviews

The Determined by Rachel Rueckert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In February 1721, Anne Bonny sits in a gaol in Spanish Town on the isle of Jamaica. She awaits the birth of her child, as well as the hangman’s noose, for her pregnancy is all that stays her execution. Since her capture, the days have passed in monotony, without companionship and without anything to mark one day from another. On this particular day, that changes – a gentleman wearing a tricorn with an ostrich feather comes to visit. He wishes to write her story to add to his forthcoming collection that he hopes will be a bestseller. His name is Captain Charles Johnson. Anne is reticent to share her story – what business is it to others – but she asks for two boons. One is paper and ink to write letters. The second is for word of Mary and a doctor to tend to her ailing friend.

Interwoven through the chapters set in 1721 are the stories of the two most notorious female pirates of the golden age of piracy. Anne’s begins in 1705 in Kinsale, Ireland, where she is the illegitimate daughter of a lawyer from a well-to-do family and a servant woman. Social mores and debts drive them from Ireland and eventually, they land in Charlestown, South Carolina. From there, Anne explains the circumstances of how she meets James Bonny and the unfortunate circumstances that surround her arrival in New Providence and her run-in with Calico Jack Rackham.

Mary, too, is pregnant, but her health is tenuous and the odds are about even as to whether the fever or the hangman will claim her. Her tale begins a decade before Anne’s in London, England, where Mary is known as Mark Read and she has no idea that she is a girl. The ruse is staged by her mother to keep them both alive, but the day soon comes when Mary learns the truth. Life isn’t fair to women, and for them to continue to survive, Mom must separate from her and Mark must continue to make “his” way, this time as an apprentice to a ship’s captain who once was acquainted with her father. World events eventually disrupt their lives, and if Mark wishes to advance and gain enough money to search for “his” mother, he needs a new vocation. He joins the cavalry, where a Flemish officer makes Mark’s acquaintance. What follows is a love story that eventually allows Mark to become Mary once again, until tragedy forces her to make new choices that lead her to the Caribbean where she eventually crosses paths with Anne Bonny.

Using Johnson’s account of the lives of these notorious women, Rueckert has crafted a compelling and totally believable tale that fills in all the blanks left by Johnson. I have always been drawn more to Mary Read than Anne Bonny, and Rueckert’s depiction of the two women helped me understand why this is. Her words paint visual imagery that is dynamic and three-dimensional, and they depict two very different women whose friendship and living in a male-dominated world bring them together to live and survive. Her research is spot-on and seamlessly woven into the story in ways that make it impossible to separate fact from fiction, although Rueckert does elaborate on this in her afterword.

Over the years, I’ve reviewed numerous books about Anne Bonny and Mary Read, but only a few have touched my heart and stayed with me long after I finish reading. The Determined is one of those tales. It is as much a treasure as James L. Nelson’s The Only Life That Mattered and N. C. Schell’s The Ballade of Mary Reede.


This review was originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Rueckert.h...



View all my reviews

A Merciful Sea by Katie Daysh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Royal Navy Commander Arthur Courtney is betwixt wind and water. He’s lost his command but is offered a position as a volunteer on a ship of the line – one that may come with a string attached. Once at sea, he has nothing to do. Although disturbed by the implied condition and the lack of activity, he senses an undercurrent of disquiet permeating the ship, but is unable to discern its cause. The crew aren’t practiced in firing their guns; sickness plagues some men; laudanum goes missing; and a midshipman dies. Then there’s the captain’s indecision. Yet, Courtney would rather be at sea than remain at home, for trouble brews on the island as well.

Hiram Nightingale is adrift. He never wanted to be a naval officer, but now that he has been dismissed from the service, he’s not sure what to do with himself. Although he is master of a vessel that belongs to his brother-in-law, it’s not the same as commanding a warship. Seeing Courtney off aboard HMS Lion only raises more doubts and emphasizes his lack of purpose. Then he learns of mysterious notes that his beloved Courtney never mentioned. Discovering who sends these and thwarting the implied peril provide one lifeline, but this isn’t enough. A suggestion from an old acquaintance leads to another idea, and Nightingale takes to the sea again as a privateer, fighting the enemy and protecting the Isle of Wight where Courtney lives. Ascertaining who that enemy is proves more challenging than he first thinks.

This final book in the Courtney-Nightengale trilogy takes place in 1804 and 1805. Although the first half of the book is slow-paced, Daysh lays the groundwork for what unfolds in the second half. Nightingale, who wants to be accepted by the islanders, unearths the true enemy and risks his life to help them in a portrayal that is both as riveting and galvanizing as the storm that unleashes its fury in the midst of the chase. While Nelson’s pursuit of the French fleet to the Caribbean and back again provides the initial background for Courtney’s time at sea, the crowning event of this book is the Battle of Trafalgar. Daysh places us above and below decks of HMS Lion in ways that allow us to experience the fighting firsthand. It is filled with gritty realism where we hear the roar of the guns and the screams of those who give the ultimate sacrifice. The resolution of this atypical romance is in keeping with the time period and the characters who understand the risks they take in loving each other.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Daysh.html...)



View all my reviews

The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-and-Run off the Coast of Nantucket by Jennifer Sellitti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The first inkling that something is amiss comes two days out of New York in the North Atlantic when Captain Enoch Peabody of Neptune orders his men to investigate a floating, but damaged, object where none should be. Fearing what they may find, he goes with his men. Instead of bodies, they find provisions, clothing, and two chronometers carefully stowed. Nothing gives them a clue as to where the lifeboat is from until Peabody uncovers an engraved spyglass from a French steamer.

On 1 November 1856, Le Lyonnais departs New York City for France. She is a sturdy, iron-hulled, luxury steamship with three decks and six watertight bulkheads. In addition to her two masts, rigged with square sails, steam and a propeller propel her through the waters of the cold and stormy Atlantic. Pierre Stanislas Devaulx, her captain, commands a crew of ninety-two, many seasoned veterans, recently released from their duties during the Crimean War. She also carries thirty-nine passengers on this first voyage to Le Havre. Although she carries six lifeboats of various sizes, two more than the law requires, they lack sufficient space to hold everyone on board the steamer.

Among the passengers are the Sumners, a family of three whose fourteen-year-old daughter needs a warmer clime to heal. Much to the chagrin of his mother, John Gibson books passage for him and his wife, even though his father died at sea years before and his mother still mourns his loss. The Dummers, a mother and daughter, travel without a male companion in a time when this is a rarity. The Reverend John B. Cocagne plans on visiting his birth country before he begins his next Methodist posting. Augustus Froelich, a professor of French, is returning home to visit his dying father.

The night is black, but Le Lyonnais carries her required lights and lookouts are posted. Despite the damp haze and cold air, some people are on deck when a wooden sailing ship under full sail emerges from the darkness. The two vessels are too close. There is nothing Captain Devaulx can do, but he tries. The unnamed barque strikes amidships, and splinters and wreckage rain down on the steamer’s deck. Rather than stay to find out if she needs assistance, the barque disappears as suddenly as she appeared, leaving behind a single clue as to her identity.

Le Lyonnais does not sink immediately, but water does seep into the coal bunkers and then the engine room. No matter how much the crew and passengers pump, bail, and lighten the load, they must abandon the steamer – even though there are not enough boats to carry everyone and not everyone is willing to leave the ship. In the end, only eighteen of the 132 will survive.

A criminal lawyer and a shipwreck hunter, Sellitti not only investigates the specifics about the ships and people involved but also delves into background material that permits readers to gain a fuller understanding of the events and historical period in which this tragedy occurs. She accumulates her research over ten years and visits many archives, museums, and personal collections from Massachusetts to France to Alabama. Scattered throughout the narrative are black-&-white images depicting 19th-century sea travel and life, as well as a center section of color plates that include snapshots from the shipwreck expeditions in 2023 and 2024. There are also endnotes, an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary source materials, and an index.

Within the pages of The Adriatic Affair, Sellitti discovers the who, what, where, when, and why of the shipwreck and the tragic loss of so many. What is astounding is what her research reveals, the near rescues that become misses, the fight for justice, and what becomes of those aboard the three-masted barque named Adriatic that carries a captain, nine sailors, and a cargo of lime and hay.



View all my reviews

Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates by Cassandra Federman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


FFSs. Stands for forever-fighting sisters, according to Kennedy. Nor does it help that she and Devon are total opposites with only three commonalities: stories, pizza, and a baby sister named Eve. She shares their room. She cries at night.

Kennedy and Devon’s arguing comes to a head when they break the television. Mom takes away their phones and electronics. She does not want to hear any noise from their room. They must learn to get along or else they will never get their items back!

Even with the door closed, the fighting continues until they decide to tell the perfect fairy tale. Of course, that leads to more bickering since Kennedy, who likes math, has her own formula for what does and does not belong in a fairy tale. Devon, on the other hand, loves danger. Eventually, they join forces to tell Eve a bedtime story so she will sleep. Kennedy will do the traditional parts while Devon adds the “COOL parts” – which leads to more clashes and a story involving a princess pirate who goes in search of someone or something to kidnap her so Prince Charming will rescue her and they will live happily ever after. Except, this princess isn’t the only one looking for true love.

The majority of this graphic book is in black and white, but there are fifteen pages in color. These may denote that change is in the air, although that’s a guess rather a known fact. There are multiple chapters, each with a specific focus that leads toward Princess Sparklepuff’s goal. Devon’s “Dangery” parts include lady pirates, dragons, a mermaid, spiders, a shark, and garbage.

More important than the princess’s quest, the sisters learn to communicate and realize what it means to be sisters. Readers are never quite sure what’s coming next, which keeps them invested in both tales. Geared toward girls ages seven to ten, the sibling rivalry is something many will readily identify with and Kennedy and Devon’s solution may just give them ideas of their own so that their parents can have some peace and quiet.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/YA-graphic...)



View all my reviews