The Dark Frigate
Author: Charles Boardman Hawes
Age Level: 12+ years
Newberry Award: 1924
Young Philip Marsham has been bred to the sea. When his father dies, leaving him an orphan, and a gun accident forces him to flee for his life, Phil finds himself in the company of a fellow sailor. The two make their way on foot to the port town of Devon where they secure a berth on a frigate called the Rose of Devon. The ship is eventually seized by pirates and Phil is forced to stand by and witness their numerous villainous acts. In the midst of storms and battles, Phil struggles to save the ship, all the while searching for an opportunity to escape.
This is an exciting tale about adventure on the high seas. Although the beginning is a bit slow and the pacing is awkward at the end, the greater part of this tale is very entertaining. The characters are well-developed and complex. The pirates are thoroughly wicked yet also have their own warped sense of honor among "gentlemen of fortune". The story is set in 17th century England and the author did extensive research to make his tale as true to life as possible. The language, particularly the dialogue and nautical vocabulary, can be difficult, yet very authentic. I imagine that this would be a great book to listen to on CD, if you can find it. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone age 12 or older, keeping in mind that there are some very unsavory characters.
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