Our Score:★★★★★★✩✩✩✩
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Cultural, Romance
Selected by Maria - August 2008
SYNOPSIS:
“Back in America, little was known of my life in Jamaica,” wrote Errol Flynn.
In 1946, a storm-wrecked boat carrying Hollywood’s most famous swashbuckler shored up on the coast of Jamaica, and the glamorous world of 1940’s Hollywood converged with that of a small West Indian society. After a long and storied career on the silver screen, Errol Flynn spent much of the last years of his life on a small island off of Jamaica, throwing parties and sleeping with increasingly younger teenaged girls. Based on those years, The Pirate’s Daughter is the story of Ida, a local girl who has an affair with Flynn that produces a daughter, May, who meets her father but once.
Spanning two generations of women whose destinies become inextricably linked with the matinee idol’s, this lively novel tells the provocative history of a vanished era, of uncommon kinships, compelling attachments, betrayal and atonement in a paradisal, tropical setting. As adept with Jamaican vernacular as she is at revealing the internal machinations of a fading and bloated matinee idol, Margaret Cezair-Thompson weaves a saga of a mother and daughter finding their way in a nation struggling to rise to the challenge of independence.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)
STORY BEHIND THE BOOK: Maria:
I chose this book because of the links to the Caribbean and the iconic Errol Flynn, both a part of my heritage. As a child my family would watch films with the likes of Errol Flynn as the hero. My family were born in the Caribbean. This book was a no-brainer.
REVIEW:
Gemma's Thoughts:
Having only vaguely heard of the name Errol Flynn and not knowing any of the films he starred in I didn't have an immediate attachment or interest in the novel. However, I did enjoy reading the story. I loved the tropical setting, the dialect that appeared throughout the book, the strong women characters and the historical elements woven within the fictional story. It was a good summer read.
Emma's Thoughts:
With a close link to the Caribbean I was thrilled by the setting of this book and couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed. Very enjoyable and easy to be transported away with the authentic dialogue and memories of the West Indies. Love a book with strong female characters too!
Maria's Thoughts:
The story line was easy for me to follow and due to my heritage I found the language used to be authentic and comforting. A lovely book to read in the sunshine, even if it's not in the Caribbean. You can always dream!
THE SCORES:
Emma: 8
Gemma: 6
Maria: 8
Nic: 4
Average 6
Let us know what you thought about this book. We would love to read your reviews and know what you would score it.
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Happy reading!