The Privateer: A Pirate for the Queen - Hardcover

Andersen, R. C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0966694600 ISBN 13: 9780966694604

Publisher: Spring Pub, 1999

Synopsis

Queen Elizabeth's young cousin is kidnapped; abducted from her ship as she is sailing home to be married. The race to recover Her Ladyship and England's honor is led by the notorious captain and crew of the privateer BERNADETTE. The most capable Captain Maxwell and his infamous horde might indeed rescue the royal hostage, but for what price? At what cost?

About this title

About the Author:

This is R.C. Andersen's fourth book, and the first to be published. He loves to travel and write both stories and songs. He is an Oregonian--"born and grazed; loves his mother's meatloaf and apple pie; will never be seen wearing red on Wednesday; and wishes world peace to all who think they deserve it."

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8-Despite Andersen's detailed knowledge of pirate life and history, this novel falls short of delivering an engrossing adventure story. Jacob Maxwell, captain of the pirate ship Bernadette, rescues two young English women from a French galleon. Hoping that the return of the young noblewoman and her servant to their home will gain him some legitimacy with the queen, he is furious when they are abducted from his ship. The rest of the story takes place in the West Indies and involves confused identities, a witchlike widow, a desperate chase, a mysterious riddle, and elusive treasure. There are so many plot elements that the story becomes tangled in its many threads and hardly comes to life. Because of his evident interest in every aspect of pirate lore, the author seems reluctant to cut anything, and the plot is disrupted by pages of burdensome exposition. For instance, almost two pages are given over to an apocryphal origin of the word "asphalt." Although there are young sailors in the crew, this book has no young protagonist as the focus of the story. True pirate mavens will find some interesting lore here, but those looking for adventure on the high seas will do better with Iain Lawrence's The Wreckers (Delacorte, 1998) or Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Orchard, 1990).
Sally Margolis, Barton Public Library, VT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Spring Pub
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0966694600
• ISBN 13: 9780966694604
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 189