Pirate Queen

by Patricia Hickman

[Kim Deister]

Saphora Warren's life looks idyllic to the rest of the world. She is married to a handsome, well-renowned plastic surgeon, mother to three children. She has two beautiful homes and a life full of luxury. But things aren't always what they seem. Her husband is a philanderer and her children have grown, leaving Saphora alone and feeling empty. When Southern Living comes to her home for their magazine, it is to be Saphora's last day living her life for everyone else. But when her husband Bender comes home early, her plans change.

It wasn't until after I requested this novel that I realized it was Christian fiction, a genre I don't normally read or enjoy. But the premise of the book still intrigued me so I read it with an open mind. As the story began and Saphora's personna developed, it was obvious that she was intended to be the sympathetic character as opposed to Bender, the womanizing, controlling husband. But her seeming inability to do for herself and her dependence on hired help to do for her completely turned me off of her. But the book was intriguing and I was still engrossed with the story. Very soon into the book, the first plot twist is introduced and I felt like I was supposed to now find Bender a sympathetic character and, on some level, I did. But his controlling, superior ways still annoyed me. As the other characters were brought into the story, a second storyline emerged about a little boy named Tobias that was as integral to the story as Bender's story. That storyline was emotional in so many ways. It was raw in both its reality and in the emotions that it invoked. It was full of love and sweetness, even some bittersweetness.

As the story went on, and more was learned and understood about Saphora and Bender, I warmed to them and felt like I finally understood them as people. I didn't expect to enjoy it nearly as much as I did, as it isn't my usual reading taste. Yes, there was definately a Christian tone to it, but it complimented the story without overpowering it.