The Pirate Queen

“One might have observed that all of the right people had been invited to the Warren estate for the Southern Living shoot. The certainty of the Warrens’ happy existence on Lake Norman was firmly set in the minds of the departing guests. Undoubtedly, through the women present, the affair’s success spread off the estate and into the notable neighborhoods. The party had ended, leaving the catering help to stow away the perfectly selected china settings.”

Patricia Hickman’s novel, The Pirate Queen, delves into that misconception that many of us fall prey to…looking in through the glass of other’s lives and believing that THOSE people have it all together. Judging ourselves by how we view our neighbors, friends, co-workers successful images that they choose to portray the world.

Saphora, a stay-at-home mother, and Warren Bender, an award winning plastic surgeon, have been married for years…raised three children albeit as absentee parents, gained status in their community, and seemed the picture of all that society covets.  On the afternoon that Southern Living magazine wraps a photo shoot at the Bender home, Saphora has decided that she has had enough.  Enough of standing by and watching her husband selfishly living his adulterous life.

However, as she finishes packing her bags, Warren unexpectedly arrives home and informs Saphora that he has cancer.  His revelation spurs the Bender’s three grown children to come home and play a role in their parents adjustment to their new challenges.

The Pirate Queen is not an easy read.  It is a book that one plods through hoping that it will get better as the next chapter of the Bender’s life unfolds.  To imagine a woman standing by for years as her husband behaves selfishly and without morals, makes it difficult for this reader to empathize with pampered and spoiled Saphora. Unable to connect with the main character, the flaws of all the characters just became annoying and ridiculous.

Yes, one could say that this a novel of grace and forgiveness.  However, with such unsympathetic characters, other than Toby, the young neighbor facing his own health and societal issues, one finds it difficult to even finish the book let alone get to the point where one can step back and admire the choices that both Saphora and Warren ultimately make.

I received this book for free from Water Brook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.