Nancy è la figlia di un mercante e proprietario terriero, cresce selvaggia e con lo spirito ribelle, ma la sua infanzia spensierata ha presto fine quando suo padre improvvisamente muore e lei viene promessa dai fratelli ad un uomo ricco quanto spietato. La sua vita non può piegarsi al meschino progetto di arricchimento dei suoi famigliari e decide di fuggire.Celia Rees crea sempre eroine degli altri tempi con delle caratteristiche comuni: sono donne con un passato che le ha formate e fatte diventare delle anticonformiste, pronte a combattere non solo per il proprio cuore e libertà ma anche per gli ideali. Nonostante questa chiave comune, la protagonista di Pirate sa emergere dalle protagoniste già viste nei romanzi di questa scrittrice, senza mai cadere sotto il marchio di fabbrica. Nancy ci permette di avere una buona panoramica sul suo passato e sulla strada che la porta a solcare i mari in fuga e alla ricerca della libertà a lei negata.Se il personaggio emerge e appassiona, ci si aspetterebbe di avere una trama che possa elevarla al meglio, eppure le avventure raccontate sminuiscono la grandezza di Nancy. C’è forse una fretta nel dare una visione generale sui fatti vissuti che non permette di assaporarne l’importanza o la gravità degli stessi… Le parti salienti della vita di Nancy scandite nei vari capitoli sono veloci come una folata di vento e quasi non ci si rende conto del lungo viaggio che in realtà nascondono, un vero peccato perché questo romanzo così leggero e veloce, sembra quasi un riassunto.Storicamente ammetto che questa scrittrice è sempre molto fedele, ricerca attentamente e traspone le piccole e grandi realtà dell’epoca permettendoci di assaporare, oltre alle grandi avventure, un po’ dell’aria che spirava a quei tempi. Vedere i pirati e le loro imprese, le motivazioni e soprattutto il panorama storico ci permette di capire e immedesimarci nelle vicende quotidiane di un mondo passato che troppo spesso non conosciamo abbastanza.Ho avuto modo in passato di leggere altri romanzi a tema piratesco o comunque sulla marina inglese e mi dispiaccio di non aver trovato dei cenni più curati su navi, ruoli a bordo… insomma, una nave non è come un albergo che funziona solo grazie alla manutenzione del personale. Il mare contiene molte insidie (oltre alle tempeste ed agli squali), ed oltre a ciò ci sono termini e abitudini che non sono nemmeno vagamente citati (insomma c’è solo la parte romantico-avventuriera e poca teoria marinara).In definitiva tre stelle. Capiamoci, la Rees ha scritto dei grandi capolavori, ma non ci si può aspettare da lei solo quelli, una scrittrice può concedersi dei buoni libri freschi e dai contenuti importanti senza puntare all’eccellenza. Pirate è un libro veloce e semplice, con grandi idee, forse non sviluppate al massimo, ma almeno fedeli agli ideali di una scrittrice che può farci sognare con poche pagine. Lo consiglio a chi è alla ricerca di un buon Romance storico veloce da leggere e senza troppe pretese. A coloro che hanno lasciato il cuore nella celebre storia della Strega Bambina dico: pensateci bene, non è un libro così bello, se proprio volete leggero per aver avuto tra le mani tutte le opere di questa scrittrice, sappiate che è un libro leggero, le cui uniche somiglianze, con il suo capolavoro, vengono da personaggi che hanno il suo marchio di fabbrica.
Review⅘ stars! Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Pirates!. I usually only read dystopians, so I didn’t really know what to expect. This book probably worked out well for me because there was lots of adventure and action. I also really enjoyed was the usage of maritime terms such as ‘schooner’ and ‘topsail’. One thing that I didn’t like was the excessive amount of foreshadowing that Celia Rees used. She used it every chapter or so. Overall, I would recommend this book for middle-schoolers because it contains a bit of strong language and some mature concepts.SummaryIt is the year 1722 and sixteen-year-old Nancy Kington is sent to her family’s sugar plantation in Jamaica after her father’s death. Nancy is going to be married to a Brazilian man by the name of Bartholome. She is very upset as she has plans to marry William, her childhood friend who is now a marine. However, she and her new friend, Minerva Sharpe, a slave on her plantation, escape just in time. Bartholome is after them and the chase is on. They hide with the Maroons, escaped slaves. But, they fear that their presence is endangering them, so they leave with pirates, led by Captain Broom. They then attack other ships for awhile and Minerva confides in Nancy that they are actually blood sisters because they have the same dad. According to section eight of the Articles (the rules of the ship), “No man is to talk of breaking up our way of living until each has been shared £1000. If any man lose a limb, or become crippled in our service, he shall have the sum of £150, and shall remain with the company as long as he shall think fit.” They end up parting ways in New York, each receiving more than £1000. However, many people come back and they leave New York for more adventures, as Bartholome’s ship is right outside the harbor. They swap their three-masted ship for a much faster schooner called Swift Return. But, They encounter a storm and have to go to Nassau harbor. While they are restocking their supplies and trading, the Navy comes into get them, headed by William. This is an awful turn of events for Nancy, as she never wanted William to see her a Pirate. However, William doesn't recognize her because she is disguised as a man. On the Navy ship, Nancy and Minerva manage to get alone with William, but the chase for the rest of the Swift Return’s crew is still on. When chasing them along the shoreline, the Navy ship’s anchors fail to gain purchase and Nancy and Minerva end up on a deserted island after the ship breaks. There, they are picked up by the Swift Return. Captain Broom decides that raiding merchant ships isn't good enough and that they want gold. So, they leave for Africa and raid a base there. On their way back, however, they are found by Bartholome. Minerva ends up killing him and everyone lives happily ever after. Minerva and Vincent, her sailor friend get married, and Nancy goes off to look for William, her childhood love.
What do You think about Pirates! (2005)?
Listened to the audio book.LOVED this story and the narrator was fantastic. I kept putting off doing things where I couldn't also listen to the book at the same time because I couldn't find a good stopping point to put down the iPod. I am sad that I waited so long to get to it as it's been on my list for a while and sitting on my shelf for a while as well. For those that read SOVAY and thought it was too long and/or too heavy on the historical details, I think you would really enjoy this book. It's much shorter and I thought it was a really good balance between story and history, action and romance, etc. I just wished for one more chapter at the end ... but that's how I feel about most books it seems! :)Now I'm in the mood to watch the Pirates of the Carribean movies!
—Angela
Perhaps it is because I am an adult and this book was written for a younger audience, but I was not impressed by this book at all! When you read the back of the book, the plot seems exciting and fast paced. This is not the case when you actually begin to read the book. The plot moves slowly, and Celia Rees has a HEAVY hand with foreshadowing. She tells her reader every twist and turn before it happens. This completely ruined the book for me. I also couldn't develop an attachment to either of the main characters. Both Nancy and Minerva are poorly developed and the reason why Nancy and Minerva are such close friends is poorly explained. Nancy is fairly whiny and helpless for a pirate. It also seemed like Celia Rees forgot about the antagoist (the Brazilian) at points in the book. It seemed rather unbelievable to me that Nancy was able to have prophetic dreams about the Brazilian, and that he was able to track her movements through the rubies he gave her. If you don't require much from your literature, go ahead and read this mess. But if you enjoy well-written novels, I would recommend looking for a different book to read.
—Jess
Great adventurous story, very easy reading. Yet again, I'm grateful to be a woman in this day and age, rather than in this time period where women are bought, sold, traded for lands and wealth, and have no say over their lives. I love this heroine, even though terrified, seeks after a forbidden life of terror and adventure rather than settling for a life decided on by her brothers and her evil, malevolent suitor. Reading about the "slaver" ships made me sick. What a horrible blemish on the history of the world. I loved the character Nancy, who was color blind when it came to other peoples and who saw Minerva as an equal even when she was her slave. Later, I had great respect for Minerva who refused to even pose as a slave because she had risen above that station in life in her heart and soul.On a side note, I loved reading about the Caribbean (and all the other exotic places!) after cruising there a few times. It's such a magical place! Reading the book makes me want to go back!
—Kimberly Smith
