Portsmouth, England,1760. Patricia Kelley, the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy Barbadian sugarcane planter, falls from her imagined place in the world when her absent father unexpectedly dies. Raised in a Wiltshire boarding school sixteen-year-old Patricia embarks on a desperate crossing on a merchantman bound for Barbados, where she was born, in a brash attempt to claim an unlikely inheritance. Aboard a merchantman under contract with the British Navy to deliver gunpowder to the West Indian forts, young Patricia finds herself pulled between two worlds -- and two identities -- as she charts her own course for survival in the war-torn 18th century.
Formerly published as Star-Crossed (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers), Barbados Bound is the adult edition (though still suitable for older teens)
Professional Reviews
She's done it again!
Linda Collison has done it again. In BARBADOS BOUND (which is actually a prequel to SURGEON'S MATE, curently available, and the first volume in the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventure Series)she takes a seemingly implausible story line and fashions it into something that is not only believable, but at once both entertaining and informative, a novel that is hard to put down.
In 1760, as a penniless girl of sixteen, Patricia Kelly leaves a boarding school in England and, along with a gaggle of prostitutes, comes aboard a merchant brig in Portsmouth Harbor and hides out in a sail locker. The merchantman is bound for the island of Barbados in the West Indies, where her once wealthy father owned a sugarcane plantation and where Patricia had lived as a young girl. Her mission is to claim her birthright and live in relative luxury in what to her mind is paradise. En route she is found out, but the ship's surgeon prevails upon the brig's captain to not abandon her in Madeira and let her stay on as his assistant. They eventually marry, but Patriria's heart belongs to another. Her adventures continue not only on Barbados, but on the islands of Nevis (where we meet young Alexander Hamilton) and Cuba (where the Royal Navy attacks the city of Havanna) and Patricia, a surgeon's mate posing as a man, confronts the best and worst of the human condition.
I highly recommend this book. It is one I plan to keep and read again in the future. It's that good. -- Bill Hammond, author
Want to review or comment on this book?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviews for "Barbados Bound; Book 1 of the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventures"
Reviewed by E Harris
7/1/2018
Barbados Bound (Book One) is a work of nautical and historical fiction. The story opens in 1760 in Portsmouth, England. Sixteen year old Patricia Kelley is about to become a stowaway on a ship so that she can reach Barbados. Even though she is the illegitimate daughter of a deceased plantation owner, she has been educated in England and has in her possession a letter from her father stating the plantation will pass to her. To say she is unprepared for the trajectory her life takes is an understatement.
The author deftly takes readers into the very heart of this exciting and moving story. Vivid descriptions of the nautical setting during a war-torn era keeps the reader totally engrossed. Patricia Kelley is a complex protagonist. Even as young as she is, she has to face her realities. In spite of her inexperience, she must quickly learn to adapt to changes in order to survive. She struggles with identity and longs for freedom even as she loves deeply.
I found this to be a fascinating story. It is a well written and powerful novel which brings an important time in history and those who lived in it to life. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Authors Den. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Barbados Bound is an enjoyable twist to the wooden ships and stout-hearted men genre of historical fiction. It is also an interesting glimpse at England's disastrous attack on Havana in 1762.
Patricia McPherson, a dispossessed heiress journeys from England to the West Indies to claim an inheritance. Along the way she encounters obstacles and tribulations familiar to age of fighting sail enthusiasts, but as a young woman, there are added layers of complexity that set the story apart. Think Moll Flanders at sea.
Collison paces her narrative well and the action moves. Her characters and locations are nicely drawn, her research and background are adequate, and while she takes some liberties with the reality of the times, they serve the story well and are easily forgiven.
This is a solid effort that holds out the promise for a successful series.
Recommended.
First Place Winner in historical fiction in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for excellence in children's literature, and named a U.P. Notable Classic.
Feel like you are in the moment nearly 100 years ago with a young girl, daughter of Finnish immigr
First Place Winner in historical fiction in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for excellence in children's literature, and named a U.P. Notable Classic.
Feel like you are in the moment nearly 100 years ago with a young girl, daughter of Finnish immigr
Autumn 1940. Germany invades Britain. Newport is blitzed. Danny O’Shea’s house is bombed, his wife is killed. While taking his young son Adam to neutral Ireland, they witness an attack on a German convoy. The result is brutal.
