The Pirate Queen, by Patricia Hickman

3 Stars

About the book - 

The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of southern gentility and accomplishment. She lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon--and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of the picturesque-but-vacant life.

Saphora’s departure is interrupted by her husband Bender’s early arrival home, and his words that change her life forever: I’m dying.
 
Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. They relocate, at his insistance, to their coastal home in Oriental—the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora’s escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined. As she gropes for evidence of God's presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?

My Review -
Well... I am sorry to say that I really did not enjoy this book. It got pretty good reviews from other people, so I guess its just me! The story line was alright - "A woman scorned wants to leave husband. Just as she is getting up the courage to leave him, he tells her he is dying of Cancer. They go to their summer home where they meet a boy with aids and all the rest of their family." The problem I had with this book was - it all seemed real fake to me! I didn't like any of the characters, they were so distant and very unbelievable. I hated all the conversation parts because I felt like I was watching a movie with very bad acting.

“Have you noticed a change in me, say, over the past month?” ...
... “Maybe you are taking the stairs more slowly,”...
“It just seems you would notice.” ...
“Tell me what it is I should notice, then, and I’ll try,”...
“That I’m dying,” ...
“Bender, it’s a mistake,” ...
... “Tabitha should dust more often.”
“I’ll tell her,” ...
“I’ve gone to two different doctors.” ...
“Bender, your health is important to you. It’s not like you let yourself go like some people. You know yourself how technicians make mistakes. It was just last week one of your patients got read the wrong x-ray report.” A doctor wrongly told a woman she had a tumor right behind her nasal cavity. “You’re fine.”
“Saphora, you’re not listening.” ...
... “I can’t stand it when you’re like this.”...

Are you kidding me??? Like, I know she wanted to leave him, but come on! Even if a man I hated told me he was dying I would react a little more surprised, or shocked than that! And it just gets worse from there. I kept hoping that it would get better but it didn't. I didn't even really enjoy the story, it was just rather dull! I forced myself to finish it. Again i will say that other people gave this book good reviews, so please do not judge by my review alone!

I received a copy of this book from "Waterbrook Multnomah publishing group" to review.


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