Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon, Part 3

 

What is most impressive about Pirate Queen is that the novel depicts a woman who lives her life on her own terms. History remember Grainne O'Malley for the famous meeting between her and Elizabeth I. She is a folk hero for defending her lands, refusing to curtsey to Elizabeth, and stating that she, too, is a queen.

Lawhon makes sure readers know the heartbreaking reason the meeting takes place. Grainne has already lost one son and she does not want to lose another. The character is so well-developed that readers rejoice when Grainne is able to persuade Elizabeth I to grant the immediate release of her brother and son. She gains the right to retain her lands as well as the right to continue her maritime activities.

Pirate Queen--Part 1

Pirate Queen--Part 2

Ariel Lawhon's The Pirate Queen, Part 2

The narrative moves back and forth through time, showing readers Grainne as a child, as a young woman, and as a mature woman--which gives readers a multidimensional picture of Grainne. The narration alternates, in other words, from the point of view of maiden, mother, and matriarch.

By including the childhood scenes, readers can see how the young Grainne developed her passion for the sea. The more her father tries to dissuade her from following in his footsteps, the more she insists on becoming proficient in seamanship. Readers see the young Grainne cut off her hair in defiance when she is not allowed to go to sea. 

As a young adult, she goes to Rockfleet Castle for fosterage where she meets the dashing Richard Bourke. Grainne laments that she is not in charge of her own destiny. The young Grainne tells those who would marry her against her will:

 "I want Spain and France and Portugal. I want a boat of my own. And a life bigger than any tower house can hold."

Despite these protests, Grainne's beloved father marries her off to Donal O'Flaherty. Grainne suffers in this loveless marriage, yet she begins to gain acclaim as a leader. Her rise to Chieftain or Taoiseach was still far from easy. 

After her husband dies, Grainne fights off the Joyces to regain Castlekirk.  Afterwards, she has to battle Rory, who has taken over Bunowen Castle in her absence and declared himself Chieftain.

The mature Grainne has even more problems. She is waylaid and imprisoned by Sir Richard Bingham in Dublin Castle. Bingham kills many of her relatives, including her son, before, miraculously, Elizabeth I's spymaster secures her release.

To exact her revenge against Bingham, Grainne entices the Gallowglass, a mercenary Scottish army, to pursue his men. For the first time, she ignores the "Sense"--the ability to sense dangerous storms. This, unfortunately, leads to the loss of many of her ships off the coast of Ulster.

Pirate Queen--Part 1

Memoir Nation

 

I've joined Memoir Nation. I think it would me help to write my daughter's story. The point of memoir, I think, is not only reflection but to help someone else. My subjective experience, flawed though it may be, may reveal something undeniable to someone else.

When my daughter struggled with illness, I had no guides, no memoirs, or case histories that I could rely upon.  

So, I will start on the path. 

Memoir Nation: Find yourself in the story of your life.

Life That Glows

 David Attenborough's Life That Glows (2016)

Life that Glows is a thoroughly enjoyable documentary that illuminates one of nature's most fascinating mysteries.  Attenborough explains to audiences that bioluminescence evolved independently over fifty times. Scientists still debate the purpose of bioluminescence. 

Dinoflagellates, ostracods, brittle stars, emit light to protect themselves. Their light is, as Attenborough puts it, a kind of burglar alarm. Creatures can also use bioluminescence to attract mates, such as fireflies and ostracods. 

Creatures can also use light to prey on others. Luminous larvae in termite mounds in Brazil or in caves in Tasmania use light to attract prey. 

For other species, the reason the animal glows has yet to be determined. For instance, the exact reason a particular type of earthworm in France is unknown. 

Most living lights can be found in the ocean's twilight zone. Vampire squid, viper fish, and dragonfish are a few examples of the myriad life forms found in the mesopelagic zone.     

 David Attenborough's Living Light proves the world, especially the oceans, is full of luminous life forms whose secrets we are just beginning to understand. He explains, too, the technical difficulties of finding and recording their light frequencies.  

Ariel Lawhon's The Pirate Queen

Ariel Lawhon's latest historical novel depicts the great sixteenth century pirate queen, Grainne. A real historical figure, Grainne is hardly ever mentioned in history classes, but that's what make her a great subject for exceptional fiction writers like Lawhon.   

Lawhon captures the many times the young Grainne demands her father allow her to go to sea. Still a child, she nonetheless wins the argument. She also proves to be much better than her brother at sea faring.  But Grainne wants more than this. She wants to become Chieftain like her father.   

For information on the historical figure, see Dr. Gillian Kenny's article for the Museum of Liverpool.

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/pirate-queen-grainne-o-malley

Pirate Queen--Part 2

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Daphne, a creative writing teacher, in New York never thinks about her past. When she suddenly encounters her former stepfather at the Met, whom she has not seen in forty-four years, a chain of events follows.    

Daphne had spent her formative years with him and admired him profusely. Eddie liked to read and do unpredictable things. Once, while visiting a raspberry farm in winter at night, a horrible car accident occurred.   

Her mother and stepfather broke up shortly afterwards. At the time, Daphne did not question it. Only now, forty-four years later, is she able to revisit this painful time. 

Daphne and her stepfather Eddie share a deep bond, a love of books, reading, and writing. Her mother remarried twice after marrying Eddie, but Daphne was closest to Eddie. So, when he re-enters her life, they crash into a heady catch-up game. Eddie ends up sharing his most guarded secrets.  

The cover drew me immediately--a riderless horse staring vacantly into the distance. The horse, it turns out, plays an important part in the story. As an editor, Eddie received many book proposals. A book about Mary Carter's survival story and her dedicated horse, Whistler, is the one book he regrets not publishing. 

The Whistler story resonates with Daphne and her sister, as they excavate their past. It reminds them of their own search for truth. After the accident, Mary Carter survives in a feverish state. Daphne questions Mary's story:

"Did she see things she really didn't see...The only  thing anyone can be sure of was that the horse came back to get her, then brought her to the ranch. Whistler was real."

Daphne is also in the process of re-examining her past and asking questions. What if her parents had not divorced?  What if Buddy had given up his love for the sea? What if Eddie had kept his promise and had given up his first love? 

I love that this book focuses upon the ambivalent relationship Daphne has with her father and the many stand-in fathers in her life. 

Buddy, her biological Dad, hardly ever saw her because he was devoted to the sea and fishing. She does remember that he always packed a survival kit in the car, which ends up helping her on the fateful day of the accident. 

Lucas, her stepfather who writes advice books, is not someone she particularly admires. She ironically calls him "Mr. Positivity" because he writes self-help books but does not take his own advice. She recognizes, however, that he is the father of her half-brothers.  

Daphne honors her two stepfathers and her biological father by returning when they needed her most. She is like Whistler who "exceeds expectations" by returning to Mary as she lies dying on the ground:

    "She was in the space between life and death when you can see the people who died before you. I guess that's a kind of bardo, too." 

Whistler courageously enters this "bardo" to save Mary's life.  

In the end, Daphne is Whistler. She comes back for the fathers in her life. But if she comes back for them, it's only because Eddie preempts her. He is the first "Whistler," the one who finds her at the Met, after all those years, and helps her reconcile with the past. 

Goodkeeping chose Whistler for its June 2026 Book Club Section. 

If you like Ann Patchett's Whistler, you may also like Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures.