Tag piracy

The book cover depicts a sailing ship caught in a storm, with grey clouds in the background and a rough, windswept turquoise sea beneath.

The Wager by David Grann

sahanacallahan Leave a comment
The book cover depicts a sailing ship caught in a storm, with grey clouds in the background and a rough, windswept turquoise sea beneath.

By Sahana C.

Land lubbers beware – this one was made for sea-lovin’ folk.  

I grew up obsessed with shipwreck stories. The might and fury of the ocean, the hubris of all those little people attempting to cross her, and their inevitable failures along the way always felt like the ultimate story of man versus nature.

Between Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, and Johann David Wyss’ The Swiss Family Robinson, I felt like I was preparing myself in case something wild happened and my account was needed to tell the story. I wrote field notes, carried a compass with me, and also carried a little kit full of tools in case I was caught off guard and thrown into the wilderness. It was like I was doomsday prepping, but I was eleven and only prepared for a night or two on my own.  

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann, nonfiction though it may be, is the same kind of rollicking, wave-crashing tale of survival that I devoured growing up, and the most titillating part is that it was all real. Lord Byron (yes, that one)’s grandfather was a prolific note-taker, and some of the other crew documented their own experiences through war with men and nature aboard the Wager, as well as their fight for survival after the shipwreck.

You want mutiny? Piracy? A Lord of the Flies-style attempt at societal structure and subsequent breakdown? You want nautical tales and stories of the open sea? The Wager has all of that and more. Grann weaves together a narrative from such disparate perspectives, he allows a reader feel as though they, too, are looking at this 18th-century phenomenon as it occurs. It’s a captivating, engrossing read, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

The audiobook is narrated in an absolutely compelling way; the book contains actual pictures of Wager Island from Grann’s own travels. No matter how you choose to read this work, you’re guaranteed to be sucked into the story. And more than that: you might be tempted, like I was, to start your own logbook – just in case something wild happens. 

The book cover depicts an oil rig against the background of a setting sun and an orange sky.

David Grann also wrote Killers of the Flower Moon, which was recently adapted into a film, if that gives you any hint to how cinematic his books are. In The Wager, he weaves into a cohesive story the images of waves and barren island, the brutal fight for survival, and humanity laid bare.  

The Wager is available in print, large print, e-book, and e-audiobook.  

Sahana is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Savage Branch. They enjoy adding books to their “want to read” list despite having a mountain of books waiting for them already.

A pale blue background has an illustrated cover with purple wisteria twining up the sides, containing a tea cup and a house among the flowers. They from the title and and a well dressed couple standing back to back with pistols at the ready.

Piracy and Good Manners, or Silliness and Romance

Kristen B. Leave a comment
A pale blue background has an illustrated cover with purple wisteria twining up the sides, containing a tea cup and a house among the flowers. They from the title and and a well dressed couple standing back to back with pistols at the ready.

by Kristen B.

Piracy, historically and currently, is really not something that good guys do. However, the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels practices a variation of piratical nonsense that could have stepped out of an Austen novel (or maybe Bronte?). Lady Scoundrels don’t sail ships – they have access to a magic incantation that allows them to fly houses around the British countryside. We’re talking townhouses, manors, abbeys, and many other shapes and sizes of abodes, all the while on the lookout to protect themselves from the Great Peril: freckles.

It’s just silliness. India Holton’s novel recently provided the perfect antidote to real life. I will admit, it took a bit to come to terms with the sheer folly of it all – airborne houses and assassinations as a form of professional advancement, combined with social norms and rivalries straight out of a Regency romance.

Dear Reader, I adored it.

Our heroine, Miss Cecilia Bassingthwaite, wishes for nothing more than to be invited to the Senior Table of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. She has every confidence of achieving this signal honor, after all, she has undertaken thievery, successfully piloted a residence, and even been targeted for an assassination. The only concern, though, comes from her antecedents. Her father is entirely the wrong sort of scoundrel, who has committed unfortunate poetry as well as the actual murder of her mother. He believes himself to be the unrecognized, illegitimate son of Branwell Bronte, but he proves himself to be an absolute bastard (pardon my language).

Miss Bassingthwaite’s adventures begin shortly after her estranged father absconds with the entire senior cohort of the Wisteria Society (and their residences) and makes off to the dreaded, dreary Northangerland Abbey. (yes, yes, I know). She is accompanied on her rescue attempt by Ned Lightbourne (a man of many aliases), who comes from a good pirating family that experienced severe setbacks with the loss of their house. The entire scheme goes to perdition in a handbasket once Queen Victoria arrives on the scene (with Windsor Castle). The concluding negotiations left me grinning in appreciation of these ruthlessly practical ladies.

Ned and Cecilia appeal as a power couple with intense, immediate chemistry. Reader: I may have blushed. Their convoluted route to trust and, dare I say it, love, gives the entire story its emotional underpinnings. While it is a romance, Cecilia’s need to settle family affairs and become a Lady Scoundrel drives the plot. That she keeps stumbling over and eventually conspiring with Ned only adds spice to the mix. Her consternation about what to do with the extra complication of figuring out who Ned is – both in reality and in her regard – makes the high stakes at Northangerland Abbey even steeper.

In short, if you are looking for a bit of fluff and fun to read while sipping tea (maybe with a splash glass of sherry) that nonetheless celebrates competent women and the men who love them – you will enjoy The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels, available as an e-book and an e-audiobook. I am looking forward to reading the sequel, The League of Gentlewoman Witches.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).