Grace O'Malley is little known in the annals of British history but was most likely a pain in the country's takeover of her homeland, Ireland. Born to the sea, she accompanied her father on many trips even as a toddler. She learned to operate every part of a ship, read the weather, the waters and the geography of areas she visited. She knew the crew members, their strengths and weaknesses. One of Ireland's most notorious women, she refused English rule while she operated a fleet of many ships and raided the merchantmen who sailed near.
Sir Richard Bingham, assigned by Elizabeth I to quell the Irish rebels, arrested Grace's brother and son. I found nothing about Grace's brother but much about Grace and her son. She wrote letters to Queen Elizabeth about Sir Richard Bingham and how he treated the Irish which were answered by the monarch in detail. When Grace sailed to England to ask for their release, she was able to get an audience with the Queen. The women spent a good deal of time together, becoming good friends. When she left England, Grace carried with her a pardon and an order to Sir Richard to for a lifetime pension. Her son was released and Sir Richard was replaced in Ireland.
Some might call this book historical fiction but it is more fiction than historical. Fun, exciting and full of adventure it's about a brave Irish woman who became a pirate. She was respected and loved by her crews and the Irish in her area of Ireland but dreaded by the merchantmen who sailed the seas. Refusing English governance on land and sea, she commanded more than a dozen ships and thousands of men. Her domain stretched from Connaught in Ireland to the African coast. Not much can be found in English history about Grace OâMalley but one can find a good deal about Queen Elizabeth. The tale gave two sides to the story - that of Elizabeth and that of Grace. Using his fertile imagination the author depicted what life might have been for this Irish pirate. This was a most entertaining story.
Whilst I normally avoid novels like the plague, my dad recommended this one to me. Fantastic read about a strong brilliant woman far ahead of her time.
