“A thrilling, swashbuckling story of a young Santo Domingo shipwright’s rise to notoriety as the first female pirate captain of the Caribbean.”
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye
A Novel
Description
This epic, dazzling tale based on true events illuminates a woman of color’s rise to power as one of the few purported female pirate captains to sail the Caribbean, and the forbidden love story that will shape the course of history.
In the tumultuous town of Yáquimo, Santo Domingo, Jacquotte Delahaye is an unknown but up-and-coming shipwright. Her dreams are bold but her ambitions are bound by the confines of her life with her self-seeking French father. When her way of life and the delicate balance of power in the town are threatened, she is forced to flee her home and become a woman on the run along with a motley crew of refugees, including a mysterious young woman named Teresa.
Jacquotte and her band become indentured servants to the infamous Blackhand, a ruthless pirate captain who rules his ship with an iron fist. As they struggle to survive his brutality, Jacquotte finds herself unable to resist Teresa despite their differences. When Blackhand hatches a dangerous scheme to steal a Portuguese shipment of jewels, Jacquotte must rely on her wits, resourcefulness, and friends to survive. But she discovers there is a grander, darker scheme of treachery at play, and she ultimately must decide what price she is willing to pay to secure a better future for them all.
An unforgettable tale told in three parts, The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is a thrilling, buccaneering escapade filled with siege and battle, and is also a tender exploration of friendship, love, and the search for freedom and home.
Reviews
“Readers will feel the ship deck shifting and pitching as Delahaye shoots, duels and brawls her way through danger and power plays while falling in love with a woman who also embraces the seafaring life. The novel’s Pirates of the Caribbean sensibilities are tempered with accounts of the mistreatment of women, enslaved people and multiracial characters. The author’s lively and compassionate writing style is addictive.”
"Debut novelist Cameron reimagines historical events in portraying her larger-than-life protagonist in a tale of triumph over a male pirate captain, racial inequality, sexism, slavery, and violence. This is a wonderfully gripping adventure story about a lesbian pirate of color who rose from obscurity to infamy at the height of the age of piracy. Fans of LGBTQ+ historical fiction and those who relish tales of notorious figures from the past will find that this novel is an absolute treasure."
“Cameron debuts with an exciting and multidimensional story inspired by the women pirates who sailed the Caribbean in the 17th century...The heart of the novel lies with Jacquotte, whose honor, passion, and tenacity leap off the page. This fiery feminist adventure shows what legends are made of.”
