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The Pirate's Daughter | 
 enlarge | Author: Margaret Cezair-thompson
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 39475
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 432
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.5
ISBN: 1932961402
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9781932961409
ASIN: 1932961402
Publication Date: October 31, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new.
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Product Description
In 1946, a storm-wrecked boat carrying Hollywood's most famous swashbuckler arrived dramatically in Jamaica, and the glamorous world of 1940s Hollywood converged with that of a small West Indian society. After a long and storied career on the silver screen, Errol Flynn spent much of the last years of his life on a small island off of Jamaica, throwing parties and sleeping with increasingly younger girls. Spanning two generations of women whose destinies become inextricably linked with the Hollywood star, The Pirate's Daughter tells the provocative history of a vanished era, of uncommon kinships, compelling attachments, betrayal, and atonement in a paradisal, tropical setting. May, the illegitimate daughter of Errol Flynn, belongs neither to the emerging black nation of Jamaica nor to the white, expatriate society on the island. Her mother, Ida, romantically adventurous, dreams of a bigger more glamorous world than that of her small seaside town. For them both, trying to find the right way to live their lives is about discovering who they are and where they truly belong. As adept with Jamaican vernacular as she is at revealing the internal machinations of a fading and bloated matinee idol, in this culturally sensitive and delightful novel, Margaret Cezair-Thompson weaves a saga of a mother and daughter finding their way in a nation struggling to rise to the challenge of independence.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 "Here it is, as promised, not tidy but true: the notes of a pirate's daughter."--Navy Island, December, 1976. October 3, 2007
Mary Whipple (New England)
21 out of 22 found this review helpful
May Flynn, the daughter of actor Errol Flynn and a beautiful Jamaican girl, has always wondered about her roots. Brought up by her mother Ida, grandfather Eli, and, for four years, a foster family, May is clever and tough from a young age. Always an outsider, she could pass for white, though she is not part of the white world of her father and maternal grandfather. Not part of the black world, either, though she considers herself "colored," she is often mocked by her dark Jamaican peers. Frequently alone, she keeps journals, filling them with stories of pirates, inspired by the films starring Errol Flynn which she sees at the local cinema.
As May discovers more about her mother Ida's life before, during, and after her birth, she creates the story of her own life, revealing it through flashbacks. When Errol Flynn's yacht was blown ashore at Port Antonio during a 1946 hurricane, her grandfather Eli drove to his aid, soon becoming Flynn's social secretary, guide, confidant, and real estate broker. Flynn finds the relaxed atmosphere of Jamaica a welcome contrast to Hollywood, where he faces charges related to his affairs with underage girls. He soon builds a palatial estate on Navy Island, off the coast, where he entertains Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Truman Capote, and a host of other Hollywood stars. It is here that Ida, May's mother, first meets Flynn when she is thirteen.
The second part of the novel follows Ida after she gives birth to May. Trying to support her family, she leaves Jamaica (and May) to find work in New York. Her return to the island several years later, and the changes she introduces into May's life, parallel some of the changes occurring on the island itself. Cuban refugees swarm to Jamaica to escape Castro's takeover. An economic downturn and, eventually, Jamaica's own independence from the British lead to competing political movements, violence, and atrocity over the next twenty years.
Filled with colorful characters, the patina of Hollywood, and the violence of political change, the novel is a fast-paced melodrama and family saga. The author's style is clean and simple as she traces lives across generations, providing enough description to enable the reader to create vibrant pictures of the action without bogging down the narrative in detail. Illness, death, financial disaster, smuggling, secret lives, ghost stories, rumors of hidden treasure, a mysterious grave, drug addiction, thwarted love, May-December romances, and shootings are among the many elements which keep the action moving--and keep the reader in a constant state of anticipation. Author Margaret Cezair-Thompson tells the story for its own sake, not to illustrate complex themes. The novel is entertaining, filled with non-stop excitement, and sure to appeal to a wide audience. n Mary Whipple
It might help if you told me everything.' March 10, 2008
J. Cameron-Smith (ACT, Australia)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
Jamaica, 1946: Errol Flynn is washed ashore in his schooner `Zaca'. Ida Joseph, teenager, is intrigued by the `World's handsomest man' and sets out to meet him. And so begins a story that spans some thirty years.
Errol and Ida are central to this novel, yet it is not just about them. There are other well-developed characters and Jamaica herself plays an intriguing role. Encompassing thirty years of Jamaican history and involving several generations of women, this novel weaves hope, aspirations, secrets and despair into a rich tapestry of people and events.
After the first forty pages, I found myself totally engrossed in this novel. Well developed characters and rich story-telling: my favourite fictional combination.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
 "You shake him hand, you no shake him heart." October 11, 2007
Luan Gaines (Dana Point, CA USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The tale begins with the larger-than-life presence of Errol Flynn, the great swashbuckling hero of the pirate movies, the stage set for an exotic adventure, a movie star who purchases his own private island near Port Antonio, Jamaica, building an estate and a reputation as a playboy extraordinaire, advised by a Port Antonio businessman and friend Eli Joseph. The two men share a love of conversation and grand ideas, Eli failing to notice his thirteen-year-old daughter's adoration of Flynn. Accompanying her father to Navy Island, Ida is enthralled by a luxurious lifestyle beyond her experience. By the time she is fifteen, Ida is pregnant with Flynn's child.
Given this dramatic turn of events, one might expect the movie star to do the right thing by his friend's daughter, but it is not in Flynn's nature to consider the feelings of others, still pursued by litigation for other underage conquests: "He felt as though he had some sort of moral immunity." Flynn sailing away, Ida is overwhelmed, her father in increasingly poor health. Faced with great responsibilities and few choices, Ida provides as best she can for May and Eli, but circumstances defeat her; when an opportunity to make a decent living in New York arises, Ida leaves three-year-old May and her ageing father in the hands of friends, hoping to bring them both to New York.
As many immigrants discover, America is not easily conquered; it is only through a stroke of luck that Ida encounters an acquaintance from Flynn's Navy Island days, Baron Karl von Ausberg. Karl is enchanted by the beautiful young woman and offers marriage. Eventually, Ida returns to Port Antonio as the wife of a baron, but at considerable cost to the relationship with her daughter. While Ida has attended to her husband's needs, May has suffered, taunted and chased by local children, the brunt of their jokes, the child and her grandfather long neglected in Ida's absence. How then to rectify her impulsive decisions, the illegitimate child, the long years of separation, marriage to the baron? Ida's task is daunting, perhaps impossible; the following years offer predictable challenges in a broken relationship, the sensitive May solitary and often taciturn, but diligent in writing an imaginative journal of pirates and their ribald enterprises.
Against this extraordinary background, a portrait emerges, the image shadowed by the movie star who has left two women in his dramatic wake, a daughter's imagination nurtured by the images projected on a theater screen. Everything about this story is larger-than-life, the mortal Flynn dying prematurely, his legacy a lover who still fantasizes about their romantic hours and a daughter who needs much but receives little, other than a chance afternoon with her father. From post-World War II to Jamaica's eventual independence from Britain and chaotic struggle toward self-rule, May struggles with an identity eclipsed by her mother's beauty. The Pirate's Daughter is rich with island history, the growing pains of a country, a cobbled-together family and a tormented young woman addicted to bad choices, but with an abiding love of place. Nowhere else could such a tale be told, Jamaica the lodestone for a family who dares to touch the sun and suffer the consequences, only to prove themselves capable of unconditional love for each other and their country. Luan Gaines/2007.
Reader Reviews from BookBrowse.com October 4, 2007
Unbridled Books (USA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Beverly (Rockville MD).
Wonderful Read!!
I was hoping to receive this book prior to the Labor Day weekend. I did and read the book in one sitting as I could not put it down. You will feel the breeze off the Caribbean sea and feel like you are there with the characters. Prose is wonderfully crafted. As you move through the story and see how race, class and colonialism affected people, through the eyes of a mixed cast of characters. You will learn how the phase "no problem" is really a sign of a problem. I am going to recommend to my book club!!!
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Beth (Savannah GA).
Un-Put-Downable!
I expected to enjoy this book, but it surpassed my highest expectations. This is a FABULOUS read that I will recommend to everyone. The chapters fly by - a compelling story, well-drawn characters, believable dialogue, fantastic sense of place -- all work seamlessly together to make one of the most enjoyable books in a long, long time. Bravo to Margaret Cezair-Thompson for a real treasure. Grab this one and enjoy!
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Laura (Wheeling IL).
The Pirates Daughter
It was with trepidation that I began reading this book as I usually do not like books that contain what I call gimmicks. This turned out to be an intriguing intergenerational historical novel about the beginning of the independence of Jamaica which coincided with the growing independence of a mother and daughter. The characters were richly portrayed and the inclusion of Erroll Flynn was an added enjoyment. Baby Boomers have long known who Erroll Flynn was, but knew little about him. This showed a side of the movie star that aroused curiosity and interest. Dialect and dialogue made me feel as though I, too, were there at the scene.I highly recommend this book to people who like historical fiction and who appreciate a well written novel.
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Kathy (Richmond VA).
Excellent - didn't want to put it down
I SO enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was intriguing (Errol Flynn fathering a child in Jamaica), although Flynn is not the main character, and actually, comes off as sort of a self-absorbed, pitiful character. the book was rich with details about Jamaica, of which I know little. I always enjoy multi-generational tales, especially ones that take me to another time and place. I found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn't reading, and didn't want the book to end. I enjoyed the dialogue and even if I didn't like all the characters, I came to care about them. I don't know that I would have picked the book on my own, so I really appreciated the opportunity to read and comment on it.
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Karla (Dana Point CA).
Cezair-Thompson has a hit!
The struggle for Jamaica's independence and the mother/daughter give and take seemed parallel. Cezair-Thompson's descriptions of the island and it's inhabitants are wonderful. I felt I was a close observer. All the characters were well developed. What a pleasure to read.
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Phoenix (Eclectic AL).
Movie stars, pirates and treasures, oh, my!
This was a thrilling read. It transports you to Jamaica at the glamorous time of Flynn and Monroe and brings you a vision of a young girl's future. We see May transform from a disillusioned tomboy who never gets a chance to have a relationship with her father to a caring and compasionate young woman.
It is a vacation in Jamaica with a taste of political change and exciting characters. If you are very still, you can feel the breeze and hear the reggae music.
Don't miss this brilliant novel.
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Sandra (Las Vegas NV).
Hooray for Cezair-Thompson
I can hardly wait to hear from Margaret Cezair-Thompson again. I was delighted to read a book in which I enjoyed the main characters. I did not always like what they did but I still liked them The supporting characters lent such a wonderful and sometimes frightening background. This is a book not only about mothers and daughters but parents and children. The choices made always bring unexpected results. This is a real page-turner. Enjoy!
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Deb (Blanco TX).
Just a lovely book!
I would recommend this book to anyone as it has something to offer a reader at many different levels. Family, romance, Hollywood, Jamaica, and the areas where they connect. I was apprehensive about writing a review, but this book made it easy. Please grab a copy!
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Colleen (Denver CO).
The Pirate's Daughter
The Pirate's Daughter is a wonderful, original story. The characters have depth and weight and I found that I could not put the book down. I wanted everything to work out for Ida and May and for all the people of Jamaica. I liked the way the story was written, the changes in both women paralleling the changes in Jamaica's government. I would recommend this book and look forward to other books by this author.
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Deborah (Chambersburug PA).
Family and Identity
An imaginative, touching book about love, the longing for family, and the search for identity. Both Ida and May are caught among racial identities (African, Chinese, Caucasian) in the changing Jamaica of the 1960s and beyond. The author portrays perfectly the prickly relationship between mother and daughter, especially Ida's need to protect May. Cezair-Thompson writes beautifully, and she clearly has a mastery of Jamaican dialect and customs. I highly recommend this wonderful novel.
Rating: 5 of 5 of 5 by Jennifer (Tucson AZ).
Couldn't put it down
I am an avid Errol Flynn fan, Captain Blood is one of my all time favorite movies, so I just devoured this book. I loved the descriptions of Jamaica and the relationships between the mothers and daughters. Overall, I couldn't wait to come home each night and have this book waiting for me to dive into. The plot is compelling and the backdrop of Jamaica was beautifully described. I think you will really enjoy this juicy, engaging novel.
Beautiful, Seductive, Utterly Compelling November 3, 2007
Wanda B. Red (Boston, MA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This wonderful book takes a wide view; it spans cultures and generations, and it conveys the sensuous and seductive beauty of the island paradise of Jamaica. And it tells the story of two beautiful women -- Ida who in her teens becomes the lover of Errol Flynn and bears him an illegitimate child, and that daughter May, who grows up a little wild but who also reveals herself by the end of the book to be capable of fierce and redemptive loyalty. The writing is as seductive as the story.
Cezair-Thompson knows just where to place a metaphor to evoke a vivid sense of place -- whether that be through the deafening sound of rain on a corrugated zinc roof or the view of the dark night sky billowing above like a sheet of cloth -- but her writing is restrained, not overloaded, and the style never interferes with the compelling story she is telling. She is also a virtuoso with the Jamaican dialect, and (as in her first book -- The True History of Paradise) she slips effortlessly in and out of a dazzling range of linguistic registers.
"The Pirate's Daughter" raises fascinating questions about identity and belonging, and never far below the surface are serious issues of race and class. But Cezair-Thompson never preaches. She has the restraint to allow political questions to weave through the book in a way that is provocative but not simplistic. Her characters have complex racial identities but they are never reduced to them, and they contradict their own principles in ways that mirror the complex histories and behaviors of real people.
This book is a shimmering delight to read. I wish someone would make it into a movie. The glamour and beauty of the characters and the story (and the book's sheer sense of style) belong on the screen. One of the most pleasurable reading experiences I've had in a long time.
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