MY REVIEW:
What would you do if you had finally decided to leave the husband who had been unfaithful multiple times for many years and he walked in and announced that he was dying? That’s a difficult question isn’t it? That is exactly what happens to Saphora Warren in the first pages of The Pirate Queen. Her choices set the stage for life changes which includes improved relationships within her family, new and different friendships, and a change of heart about what role God should have in her life.
The Pirate Queen was well written with intriguing characters and plot. Because of its serious content, it was not quickly read. It left me with plenty to ponder, especially about what I might have done under the same circumstances. Saphora’s compassion and care for other people was admirable, particularly since she was not a believer. I fear that I sometimes fall short by comparison but Saphora’s story encourages me to strive to do better.
In order to avoid any spoilers, I will refrain from including more details. I will say that if you are looking for something light and entertaining, you should probably avoid The Pirate Queen. For those who enjoy a little meat in their literature, this would be an excellent choice.
This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Treasure is found in the most unlikely places.
The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of southern gentility and accomplishment. She lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon–and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of the picturesque-but-vacant life.
Saphora’s departure is interrupted by her husband Bender’s early arrival home, and his words that change her life forever: I’m dying.
Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. They relocate, at his insistence, to their coastal home in Oriental—the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora’s escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined. As she gropes for evidence of God’s presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Patricia Hickman, M.F.A., is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction whose work has been praised by critics and readers alike. Patricia first studied creative writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and then went on to do graduate studies in creative writing at Queens University. She writes for major publishers and is currently at work on her eighteenth book, a novel set in the North Carolina Piedmont. Her next novel,The Pirate Queen, will release Summer 2010, a story that takes readers journeying from suburban Lake Norman to the sailing villages of the Outer Banks. She has served as a writing professor at UNCC and taught in writing workshops across the country offering her popular “Creating Characters–Giving Story People Life” workshops and courses on fiction. She, along with her hubby, founded a non-profit charity that benefits moms and children with HIV called The Secret Angels Project. Her fiction is known for its depth of understanding of the human condition underscored by redemptive themes.
