The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon is one fabulous book. Certainly I can not give over 5 stars – but I sure wish I could. I love how Ariel Lawhon takes an important but relatively unknown person from the past and with research and imagination writes a fascinating book about them! I have heard of Grace O”Malley as there is a young person’s book about her, but this novel brings her life alive.
Grace O’Malley was strong, vital, courageous, intelligent, crafty and bigger than life. She felt drawn to the sea, even as a young person. Despite the times she lived in with the treatment of women in general (specifically her husband), she was able to persevere and defend her clan. She traded goods, committed piracy (or privateering) and fought the insurgency of the English into Ireland.
The book was written in three time lines of Grace’s life: The Maiden, The Mother, the Matriarch. The story rotates through the times in her life allowing the reader to understand the breadth of her life.
I LOVED this book! I felt brought into the time and place. I felt I was with Grace during the hard times. I was in awe of her strength! The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon was a fabulous book.
