Award-winning novelist Vanessa Riley will host a virtual chat on Thursday, February 5 at 7:00pm centered around her new book, Fire Sword and Sea.
Based on the folk story of female pirate Jacquotte Delahaye and set in 1675, the novel follows Jacquotte Delahaye, the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga who, instead of marriage, dreams of joining the seafarers and smugglers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise waters of her homeland.
In Haiti she becomes Jacques, a dockworker, earning the respect of those around her while hiding her gender and discovering that secret identities are fairly common in the chaotic world of seafaring, which is full of outsiders and misfits. As Jacques, she falls in love with Lizzôa d'Erville, a beautiful courtesan who deals in secrets and sex. While others see their work clothes as a disguise, Lizzôa’s true self is as a woman.
For the next 20 years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, making enemies and amassing a fortune in stolen gold. When her fellow pirates decide to increase their profits by entering the slave trade, Jacquotte turns away from piracy and the pursuit of riches. Risking her life in one deadly skirmish after another, she instead begins to plot a war of liberation.
Don’t miss out on this exciting discussion! Edison Public Library cardholders can register now to submit questions for Riley and embark on a seafaring journey of self discovery and reclamation of personal power. |
