The Pirate Queen...Review

About the book:
Treasure is found in the most unlikely places.

The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of southern gentility and accomplishment. She lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon—and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of the picturesque-but-vacant life.

Saphora’s departure is interrupted by her husband Bender’s early arrival home, and his words that change her life forever: I’m dying.

Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. They relocate, at his insistance, to their coastal home in Oriental—the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora’s escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined. As she gropes for evidence of God's presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?

I was surprised at how much I liked this book.  I'd forgotten that Patricia Hickman wrote Painted Dresses which I hated, so when I received the book and realized this, I was concerned that it would be much of the same.  Thankfully, it wasn't.  While it took me a while to like Saphora, I ultimately did.  I cared about her and what happened.  I cheered as she discovered her strengths and her faith.  I enjoyed her interactions with family and friends and I even liked Bender.  Their moments together towards the end were sweet and tender.

Because the story deals with the death of a spouse, it could be sad and depressing.  I'm happy to report that it's not. It's tender and poignant, instead.  And sweet little Tobias steals the story completely.  I'm still surprised that AIDS has such a stigma and I thought it was handled so well here.

A lovely story about family, faith and love.  Easily recommended.

Thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Patricia Hickman here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 2/11

* * * *
4/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I have this one on my pile and now I am more eager to read it. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Now to make time to actually read it.

    We were talking in Sunday School class recently about how AIDS does still have a stigma and I was surprised as well. Seems like there are still a lot of people that are uneducated about the facts.

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