Bristol's great wealth was founded partly on sugar, and we're shown the detail of life on the plantations. Nancy and Minerva never lose their femininity, but they are as much "on the account" as any man, sensible planners of their own futures, and not afraid to use extreme violence when they have to.Īs the narrative progresses, we learn much about the slave trade, about conditions in the navy in the 18th century, about the customs and language of many different sets of characters, in all kinds of places. Traditionally, books of this kind are about men and boys, but here we have two young women as heroines. She shows us that the men who sailed under the Jolly Roger were often neither more nor less honourable than merchant sailors that they sometimes turned to piracy because conditions in the navy were so unspeakable and that some captains, especially on slave ships, were crueller than any buccaneer. She tells us about the difficulties of being a woman among many men, and describes the living and dressing arrangements.
What is unusual in the novel is the way Rees charts the daily life and organisation of a pirate ship. That particular episode is extremely bloodthirsty, but the book ends with happiness, hope and a delightful revelation. Throughout the action, the dastardly Bartolome pursues Nancy in a sinister dark ship, and when he catches up with her, matters take a dreadful turn. They join a pirate crew and many adventures ensue, of the kind that fans of this genre will love to read about. It would be spoiling readers' fun to reveal how it turns out that Nancy and Minerva run away and go "on the account", as it's called. She also catches the eye of Bartolome the Brazilian, who is a terrific baddy and worth his weight in gold as far as this narrative is concerned. Her father's business concerns do not go well and, when he dies, she is sent to the West Indies, where she meets Minerva Sharpe and her mother, Phillis. She has brothers and is growing very fond of a young man called William.
Nancy Kington is the daughter of a Bristol merchant.
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