Fiction Fridays: The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman

My Review:

Well to do and unsatisfied. These words describe Saphora Warren, the main character in The Pirate Queen. Saphora is a southern woman who, after decades of marriage, has finally decided to leave her womanizing, plastic surgeon husband Bender. After Southern Living magazine visits their home to feature it in a future issue, Saphora packs her bags and leaves for their bungalow in Oriental on the Outer Banks, hoping to make sense of her self.

Just as Saphora is about to leave for Oriental, Bender arrives home and says he’s dying of cancer. With this monkey wrench thrown into her plans, Saphora agrees to care for him at their bungalow. Inwardly, she wants to kick herself for being such a pushover. Their bungalow gets more and more crowded when family members arrive and townsfolk stop by to check on them. Frustrated, Saphora asks God to show her the way back to herself.

The Pirate Queen is a deep character study of Saphora who, after years of fulfilling her duties as a wife and mother, fights to discover Saphora. Hickman’s poignant writing style allowed me to easily slip on Saphora’s distinctive view of her marriage and family. In addition, the cast of characters in this story add dimension to the novel. This story courageously deals with the often unspoken expectations of womanhood, especially as women navigate their role in the home. The Pirate Queenhad me turning the pages, wanting to see how Saphora comes to terms with her life. A great story.

February Contest Book Giveaway:

From February 1-28, 2011, I’m holding a contest for The Pirate Queen One lucky winner will receive a brand new copy of the book. To enter, leave a comment on any February 2011 blog post. Give your name, email address and US state (Sorry, no international entrants) Only one entry per person. I’ll announce the winner on March 1st.

When giving your email address use this format: you[at]yourmail[dot]com to prevent spammers of targeting your email address. It’s up to the winner to check to see if you’ve won and to email me if you haven’t heard from me.

I always email the winner and give them a week to reply. If I don’t receive an answer, I’ll pull another person to win the book. The winner can expect their free book in 4-6 weeks. Read the contest disclaimer here.

You can also post a comment and not enter too!