Review of “The Pirate Queen” by Patricia Hickman

A journal spread in response to the book "The Pirate Queen" by Patricia Hickman
completed December 19-20, 2010 in my Hand-Book Journal
mixed media collage

Please click here and rank this book review. Many thanks to Water Brook Multnomah for providing me a free copy of this book to review!
This story is a tapestry woven of fine linen threads in brilliant colors, each thread coming together in intricate patterns to complete the picture. All the threads come together at the end like a quilt, a tapestry, or a piece of art – a thing of beauty. At the end the reader is left satisfied, satiated. So many unexpected things happen; I devoured the book and savored it at the same time.

Why is the protagonist, Saphora Warren, referred to as the “Pirate Queen”? Because, throughout the book the theme is that Saphora is finding buried treasures - loving the unlovable and unlovely, seeing good in places other people can’t find it, redeeming love like God’s love flows from Saphora. I find myself wanting to be more like Saphora, who without even trying, just naturally gives and loves without resentment, but freely. She learns to see people without judgment and condemnation. And her life is made richer because of it.

I could relate to the struggles in Saphora’s marriage; only she takes forgiveness to a level I only hope I can someday reach. Her character is real; I didn’t find myself resenting her for being “too perfect” and this novel didn’t feel like a “Christian” work of fiction. Nothing seemed contrived to me. It was a real story and I was absolutely engrossed in it. I want to read more of this author’s work!

Please rank this review below. Thank you!