Set in 17th century Britain, this is the tale of Lizbet, a village girl from the fishing town of Teignmouth. Sent to get new boots by her mother, Lizbet returns to find the village decimated and the townsfolk, including her beloved parents. gone. She sets off to London with Elinor, a girl from the workhouse who had hidden out whilst the pirates attacked. Together, they brave the streets of London , where they risk jail and flogging for being vagrants. They stumble into a store belonging to an eccentric and kindly Frenchman who takes a special liking to Lizbet. Under his patronage she lives a privileged but solitary life under strict instructions never to leave her new home. After winning his trust, Lizbet yearning for the sea again persuades him to take her to sea on his ship. Here they are attacked by pirates and Lizbet is given the traditional pirate ultimatum – join us or die.
Having already really enjoyed ‘The Girl in the Box’ by Sheila Dalton, I was really looking forward to reading this new book and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s Dalton’s meticulous research that I enjoy so much. I live in the West Country where much of the book is set and although I’m very familiar with tales of smugglers, I frankly had no idea about its piratical history in terms of the slave trade.
Like most bookworms I love a good read, but enjoy it so much more if I learn something new along the way, and Dalton knows how to satisfy both criteria. I thoroughly enjoyed this swashbuckling tale and I loved how Lizbet’s character developed. She goes from quiet village girl to female pirate of the high seas, without ever losing her feminine touch. A highly recommended read. ( )

Stolen parents, stolen futures, stolen lives…all are found in this book set in the 1600’s. There are pirates of various nationalities, slaves of various colors and women who find themselves in situations they never would have expected had their lives unfolded as they thought they would. In the beginning of the book Lizbet’s life takes a major turn that leads her in a completely different direction than she had once expected. Her quest to locate her stolen parents is aided by a benefactor and later by a pirate. Women pirates were not frequent but they did occur in history and Lizbet becomes one in this book. The book is well written, fast paced and interesting. I can see how Lizbet became who and what she did due to the events presented in the writing of her story.

Thank you to LibraryThing for the copy of this book to review ( )

This book is okay, but don't expect complete historical accuracy. While many of the big things are accurate, small inaccuracies slip through the cracks. Both French and English dressed children the same as adults until the late 18th century, English children didn't go to boarding school enmass until the early-to-mid 19th century, and someone of Lizbet's class wouldn't have see too many paints especially from other countries. Otherwise an interesting story. ( )

At last! A novel about pirates with a believable background and credible characters. Set in the early 1600's, this is a tale about Lizbet and two men who influence her life. When her parents are kidnapped and taken to sea, Lizbet meets up with Elinor, a young girl from the workhouse, the first of the interesting characters introduced in the book. Finding their way to London, Lizbet is rescued by Jean Vallee, a man with a mysterious past. Later in the story, Lizbet finds herself at sea, controlled by the second male character in the novel, Captain Jake. Jake is also interested in discovering information from Lizbet about Jean. Part history, part adventure, part romance, this is a book worth reading. I received this ebook from the author as a part of LibraryThing’s Member giveaway, and I will be watching for more books from this author. ( )

Excellent historical fiction with just enough romance and adventure to entertain all readers. Even though I teach history, I did not know much about the "Christian slaves" off the Barbary Coast. So this novel was informative as well as intriguing. Very well written and hard to put down, I'm so glad I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely read the author's other books. ( )