Pirates (The True and Remarkable Adventures of Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington, Female Pirates) by Celia Rees Date of Publication: 2003 ISBN: 0747564698 Number of Pages: 380

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: High
GENRES: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance
THEMES: Prejudice, Good versus Evil, Coming of Age, Appearance versus Reality, Life versus Death, Family, Survival, Loyalty, Revenge

SUMMARY:
Nancy Kington is a wealthy merchant’s daughter in the early eighteenth century, when her world suddenly falls apart. Her father loses his ships in a storm and then dies suddenly, and she is sent to the family plantation in Jamaica, and forbidden contact with William, the young naval officer she loves. In Jamaica she is appalled by the treatment of the slaves and the cruelty and prejudice she sees. She becomes best friends with a half-slave girl named Minerva, angering the overseer and Nancy’s brother.

On her sixteenth birthday, Nancy learns she is to be used as a pawn to save her family’s fortunes, and soon will be forced to marry a cruel plantation owner and ex-pirate named Bartholome. Nancy returns to her plantation trying to come up with a plan of escape, but then Fate intervenes. Nancy has to save Minerva from a near-rape by the overseer, and in the process, kills him. This sets Nancy and Minerva on an exciting adventure where they join up with pirates, find treasure, learn they have the same father, and run into William. Unfortunately, Bartholome will not let Nancy go, and when he finally catches up with them, Nancy is saved by Minerva, who puts a gruesome end to Bartholome once and for all.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...·

• loves feisty heroines and rebels
• has a strong sense of justice
• is fascinated by pirate tales and high seas adventures
• loves historical fiction
• is interested in Jamaica and/or early colonization
• is interested in slavery
• loves Pirates of the Caribbean
• is into “girl power”
• doesn’t mind the odd incident of blood and gore, pirate-style
• can read a big book in a short time
• likes first person narrative

WHAT ELSE?
This book will be well received by your “bright girl readers,” but is appealing to strong boy readers too, as long as they are into the pirate theme and/or historical fiction. It provokes great discussions about slavery, prejudice, and the role of women in the social climate of the 1700’s. There is one near-rape scene, scattered scenes of violence in accordance with the times, and a few pirate battles that might upset sensitive readers. Any reader who saw Pirates of the Caribbean and/or has read other things from this period should be fine with it, however.

RELATED LINKS:
Author's Pirates Website
Celia Rees The Author