Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 Sheer froth October 4, 2008
The Pirate's Daughter felt much like a roller coaster - impossible to get off once you're on but leaving you feeling dizzy, slightly sick and rather regretting spending so much time on it....
The plot starts off well enough - Errol Flyn's yacht washes up in Jamaica, he decides to stay, a beautiful young girl falls in love with him, has his baby, gets abandoned - so far, so summer blockbuster. Sadly, after a cracking start, the novel loses its way slightly. The action never lets up and it's got it all - poverty and politics, death and drugs, mistaken identity and heartbreaking love affairs in spades - but ultimately, one feels that the author is trying to do too much. There's so much going on that even the characters seem to be confused, with their actions rarely tallying with what you might have expected.
In short, it's worth a read, and it's great fun in parts. But if you want a coherent plot with strong characters who convince you of their motivation, then I'm afraid you're looking in the wrong place....
 Frangipani-scented delight! September 22, 2008
I bought 'The Pirate's Daughter' in the vain hope that I could find a book that would hold me rapt with attention through to the end. Though living with such a demanding imagination, I didn't have much faith. Yet, I began to read and it did not take very long to realise that this book was nothing short of enchanting.
As the plot unfolds it becomes clear that Margaret Cezair-Thompson has a real talent for keeping the reader hooked. She has a true flair for making one feel intrinsic to the very environment of which she has written; you feel part of Jamaica and the incredible Navy Island. How she does this I'm not quite sure, but there is no doubt in my mind that she does it effectively and somewhat effortlessly, at that.
The mellifluous tone used, allowing her to move seamlessly from one event to the next, lets the reader trip from one breathtaking moment to another, with ease. Every page seems to burst with such delightful description of an exquisite place, much like the very frangipani-scent described upon them.
As a reader you feel you are experiencing the life-times of the main protagonists, along-side them. Thus, the reader is ensured to undergo an immense feeling upon finishing the book, eager for more of the lives of both Ida and May, at the least.
Having never read about Jamaica until now, I feel deprived of years of a passion for such a magical place, of which I previously had no true knowledge. This book is not only about the renowned movie-star Errol Flynn, nor is it focused upon the people who he involves himself with along the story; this book is decidedly meant to show the way of island-life, more deeply so: an emotive account of the history which Jamaica has suffered, its' beauty throughout the time and the inner core of it's people.
I, for one, cannot wait to see what else Margaret Cezair-Thompson has to come!
 Apart from the smell of the bouganvillea not much to recommend September 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is readable, but only just. There is a story, as the other reviewers have explained, but I found myself uncaring of the ending. The writing lacks depth and the narrative style is commonplace. There is no more to the story than what happens, unless perhaps, the tropical setting, which, for one based in rain-soaked England, is alluring. I wonder what makes the book successful for others? Perhaps the link to Hollywood? Perhaps the lack of profundity? I don't know, but I hope that this review will enable readers to consider a range of views about this rather 'so what?' book.
Readable-just! August 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was really looking forward to Richard and Judys summer reads but this book really dissapointed me. It missed a good storyline and often I thought it included to much uneccessary detail. I found it quite boring and often thought of just giving up on it. Would not reccomend.
 Captivating slice of history and romance August 14, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The pirate of the title refers to Errol Flynn, who finds himself washed up on the shores of Jamaica following a storm. He finds calmness and peace on the charming island, and seeks refuge there from the scandal that follows him in Hollywood. Ida, the daughter of a man who befriends Errol, develops a crush on him and their somewhat odd friendship develops over the years.
Ida grows into a beautiful young woman, and one day the inevitable happens. Ida finds she is pregnant with Flynn's child, but raises it herself, isolated and abandoned by the man she loves.
This charming tale follows both the lives of the mother and daughter. Around them, politics and strife rear their ugly heads as Jamaica gains independence from Britain and racial tensions rise to the surface.
This is a forlorn love story brought vividly to life with enchanting descriptions of the island and rich characters. A page-turning, engrossing, intelligent read.
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