Emmanuel Appadocca; or, Blighted Life: A Tale of the Boucaneers

by Michel Maxwell Philip, William E. Cain

This 1854 novel traces a mulatto son's quest for vengeance against his white father, a sugar planter who abandoned him and his mother. Intent on redeeming his mother's honor and outraged by the cruelty and greed that slavery has engendered Appodacca sails the seas with a band of ruthless pirates on a ship named the Black Schooner. The novel, written by the important activist and intellectual Michel Maxwell Philip (1829-1888) deals with themes, symbols, and literary techniques that are reminiscent of other major authors such as Melville, Douglass, and Stowe. This new edition with scholarly commentaries and annotations will reorient our understanding of the development of Caribbean literature in relation to English and American literary production.

Genres: Historical Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

Reviews

[Audrey H]

walmart moby dick (didnt finish 😭😭)

[Kimba Wisotsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love pirates

[Bookish]

An epic story of daring, adventure, and love, this novel is both historically real and delightfully fantastical. A wealthy Trinidadian of mixed race, educated at the best universities in Europe, fluent in multiple languages, a lawyer and politician, Maxwell Philip was incensed over the continued practice of slavery in the United States. And as a lover of Sir Walter Scott’s wildly popular fiction, Philip knew how to spin an enthralling tale. Starring the adventure-seeking son of a white wealthy planter and a black enslaved woman, the novel reveals a spectacular and deeply moving world of honor and danger unmatched in pirate fiction. The ending will slay you. —Katharine Ashe (https://www.bookish.com/articles/pira...)

[Fred Putnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you appreciate having read "The Count of Monte Cristo" you will most likely enjoy reading "Emmanuel Appadocca; or Blighted Life: A Tale of the boucaneers". Set in the Caribbean, this is a powerful story of personal revenge, much like Dumas's earlier "Georges", albeit without the moral reflection of "Monte Cristo".

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deadbeat dads who whinge about family court have no idea how good they have it now.

[Jessica DMJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun pirate book 10/10, just don't take it too seriously