The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye

DEBUT Gritty realism, swashbuckling adventure, and beautiful romance combine in Cameron’s richly crafted pirate tale. Jacquotte, the daughter of a Haitian mother and a French father, is a shipwright on her home island until she flees with her brother, a few friends, and Teresa, a woman with whom she shares an intimate connection. The group soon finds itself indentured to the legendary pirate Blackhand, and Jacquotte’s life changes forever. She is swept up in the beginning of the golden age of piracy, first as a crew member and eventually as a captain herself. While the book features several scenes of swashbuckling excitement and heated romance that readers would expect in a pirate novel, the story is graphically realistic at times. As might be expected for a woman pirate in the 1650s, Jacquotte deals with period-accurate dangers, making for an intense read. Still, it’s thrilling and ultimately joyful to see Jacquotte, with the help of her found family and her true love Teresa, rise to the same heights as the famous pirate captains of the period.