Reading Natalie's Good Fortune called to mind some of the greatest adventure stories I've read - Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, Bloody Jack, and
more. My imagination was fully engaged in this tale of pirates and comrades, adventure and danger. I think Fanning must be a bit of a pirate lore
fanatic, because the details felt authentic to me. I haven't been a huge reader of historicals, but books like this are helping me to discover the pleasure
of immersing myself in the world of the past.
A wealthy merchant's daughter, Natalie is the product of a soft upbringing that is absolutely no help to her in her new life. Her challenges and
adventures make for riveting reading, the more so because I really felt I could identify with her. I can imagine that I would do as well in her
circumstances, though I have to admit I don't think I have a high enough pain tolerance to become a fighting sailor. Natalie's learning process at the
hands of her fellow maroon, John Hayes, was one of my favorite parts of the book. And then I couldn't wait for Natalie to get revenge on those
scurvy dogs who marooned her in the first place.
I truly enjoyed Natalie's Good Fortune, but it wasn't perfect. It has more than its share of typos, and I felt there were a few scenes that detracted
from the main story and could have been shortened or eliminated. Overall, however, this was a great story and I had fun reading it. If you like
historicals, adventure stories, or tales of adventure, this book is for you!
more. My imagination was fully engaged in this tale of pirates and comrades, adventure and danger. I think Fanning must be a bit of a pirate lore
fanatic, because the details felt authentic to me. I haven't been a huge reader of historicals, but books like this are helping me to discover the pleasure
of immersing myself in the world of the past.
A wealthy merchant's daughter, Natalie is the product of a soft upbringing that is absolutely no help to her in her new life. Her challenges and
adventures make for riveting reading, the more so because I really felt I could identify with her. I can imagine that I would do as well in her
circumstances, though I have to admit I don't think I have a high enough pain tolerance to become a fighting sailor. Natalie's learning process at the
hands of her fellow maroon, John Hayes, was one of my favorite parts of the book. And then I couldn't wait for Natalie to get revenge on those
scurvy dogs who marooned her in the first place.
I truly enjoyed Natalie's Good Fortune, but it wasn't perfect. It has more than its share of typos, and I felt there were a few scenes that detracted
from the main story and could have been shortened or eliminated. Overall, however, this was a great story and I had fun reading it. If you like
historicals, adventure stories, or tales of adventure, this book is for you!
Review by Vanessa at
Shannon Yarbrough's review at
I received a hard copy of Anthony R. Fanning’s book in the mail a few months ago. Opening the package, I discovered the book was wrapped in
brown paper tied with cotton twine much like a treasure map. What a cool marketing idea, I thought! It really gave me a nice visual introduction to
the book. Unwrapping the paper, I discovered a nice little 4.25″ x 6.88″ pocket size book totaling 430 pages and only 19 chapters! But it’s orange
cover (the author has since changed the color) and pencil drawing of a young girl standing in front of an Old World Caribbean map appealed to me
even more. I usually frown at 300+ pages in any book, but the small size of this book made it read more like 215.
The book centers around Natalie Brennan Satterfield in the year 1722. The blurb on the back of the book calls her a “pampered and privileged
sixteen year old daugheter of a wealthy English merchant.” But don’t go judging Natalie just yet! I immediately thought of Keira Knightley’s
character in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean had those films been more about her and less about Captain Jack Sparrow. Natalie is at sea on a ship
called the Bonny Lass headed for the colonies. The story opens with the cook telling Natalie a horrible story about what a crew of pirates did to a
young “lassie” who was aboard a vessel they took captive just a year ago.
Just three chapters later, Natalie finds the Bonny Lass being taken captive by pirates and the cook’s wretched tale echoes in her ears. She manages
to escape and soon finds herself marooned on an uncharted island in the Caribbean Sea, but Natalie quickly discovers she is not alone. Hunger sets
in and Natalie comes across a group of cannibals. She approaches them in desperation. And obviously, the mad men attack her. But a man by the
name of John Hayes saves the day! John is a former privateer and pirate himself, with a cunning reputation well known across the Atlantic and the
Caribbean.
A battle of wits and of the sexes soon plays out between John and Natalie as he kids her about her prim and proper upbringing, all the while still
respecting her as a lady, and Natalie becomes determined to hold her own and get off the island and to the American coast however she can. While
working on a boat for their escape, John teaches Natalie how to gather food and how to fight with a sword. The scenes involving a coconut tree and
a bamboo sword are both fun and hilarious at times! And Natalie gets to test out her skills sooner than she expected when savages attack again.
Finally, the day comes when John and Natalie’s boat is ready to take to sea. John so aptly names the boat NATALIE’S GOOD FORTUNE in honor
of Natalie’s hard work and determination. But things don’t get much better when they are off the island. Natalie must soon put her new skills to
test when they come across boats of mad men, and eventually meet up with the pirates that originally captured the Bonny Lass.
Besides the physicality of the book itself and the nicely paced storyline, I was impressed with Fanning’s characterization. Natalie is not treated as a
stereotypical female character one might consider for this time and for this type of plot. Sure, she’s slowly made into a hero of sorts, but Natalie
becomes much more than that. She definitely holds her own at a sea full of men. Fanning keeps the underlying sexism to a minimum, and says
himself that he wanted to “create a fun story that was reminiscent of tales of adventure like Treasure Island.” And he has indeed done just that!
brown paper tied with cotton twine much like a treasure map. What a cool marketing idea, I thought! It really gave me a nice visual introduction to
the book. Unwrapping the paper, I discovered a nice little 4.25″ x 6.88″ pocket size book totaling 430 pages and only 19 chapters! But it’s orange
cover (the author has since changed the color) and pencil drawing of a young girl standing in front of an Old World Caribbean map appealed to me
even more. I usually frown at 300+ pages in any book, but the small size of this book made it read more like 215.
The book centers around Natalie Brennan Satterfield in the year 1722. The blurb on the back of the book calls her a “pampered and privileged
sixteen year old daugheter of a wealthy English merchant.” But don’t go judging Natalie just yet! I immediately thought of Keira Knightley’s
character in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean had those films been more about her and less about Captain Jack Sparrow. Natalie is at sea on a ship
called the Bonny Lass headed for the colonies. The story opens with the cook telling Natalie a horrible story about what a crew of pirates did to a
young “lassie” who was aboard a vessel they took captive just a year ago.
Just three chapters later, Natalie finds the Bonny Lass being taken captive by pirates and the cook’s wretched tale echoes in her ears. She manages
to escape and soon finds herself marooned on an uncharted island in the Caribbean Sea, but Natalie quickly discovers she is not alone. Hunger sets
in and Natalie comes across a group of cannibals. She approaches them in desperation. And obviously, the mad men attack her. But a man by the
name of John Hayes saves the day! John is a former privateer and pirate himself, with a cunning reputation well known across the Atlantic and the
Caribbean.
A battle of wits and of the sexes soon plays out between John and Natalie as he kids her about her prim and proper upbringing, all the while still
respecting her as a lady, and Natalie becomes determined to hold her own and get off the island and to the American coast however she can. While
working on a boat for their escape, John teaches Natalie how to gather food and how to fight with a sword. The scenes involving a coconut tree and
a bamboo sword are both fun and hilarious at times! And Natalie gets to test out her skills sooner than she expected when savages attack again.
Finally, the day comes when John and Natalie’s boat is ready to take to sea. John so aptly names the boat NATALIE’S GOOD FORTUNE in honor
of Natalie’s hard work and determination. But things don’t get much better when they are off the island. Natalie must soon put her new skills to
test when they come across boats of mad men, and eventually meet up with the pirates that originally captured the Bonny Lass.
Besides the physicality of the book itself and the nicely paced storyline, I was impressed with Fanning’s characterization. Natalie is not treated as a
stereotypical female character one might consider for this time and for this type of plot. Sure, she’s slowly made into a hero of sorts, but Natalie
becomes much more than that. She definitely holds her own at a sea full of men. Fanning keeps the underlying sexism to a minimum, and says
himself that he wanted to “create a fun story that was reminiscent of tales of adventure like Treasure Island.” And he has indeed done just that!
Book Reviews
| Book reviews of Natalie's Good Fortune: A Tale of Piracy and Adventure, written by people who know books! |
posted on May 28, 2009
posted on June 17, 2009
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| I'll be happy to do what I can to make it happen. |
| If you have a website or blog dedicated to reading and reviewing books and would like to reviews Natalie's Good Fortune, contact me |
Watch for more reviews for Natalie's Good Fortune: A Tale of Piracy and Adventure as they become available!
Review by posted July 10, 2009
At sixteen, Natalie Satterfield is the soft daughter of a wealthy man, destined to be married off for her father's gain.
However, off the coast of the Caribbean islands in 1722, her destiny is changed forever when the ship she's aboard is attacked by pirates.
Natalie summons her courage and escapes, only to find herself alone on an island and more in need of strength and backbone than ever before if
she's going to survive.
But Natalie has fiery Irish blood in her veins and she might find she has a temper and stubborn desire to persevere to match!
Natalie's Good Fortune is a darn good classic adventure story with nothing dull about it. Although unlike them in plot and characters, fans of
Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates!, Bloody Jack Adventures, or Stevenson's Treasure Island will thoroughly enjoy Natalie's Good Fortune. The
characters are easy to see in your mind's eye and the scenes and sequences that unfold keep your eyes wide with excitement.
Mr. Fanning's debut novel is utterly readable and highly entertaining--and you won't want to miss the sequel, Isle of Lost Souls. Also look for the
upcoming third volume of Natalie's adventures in The Devil's Footprint (tentative title).
Note:
This is definitely recommended for ages 14+ due to suggestive content (pirates being lewd and teenaged boys being their usual selves). Nothing
explicit, but there is quite a bit--enough that it makes the Bloody Jack Adventures look clean. It didn't bother me, but I like to let people know.
However, off the coast of the Caribbean islands in 1722, her destiny is changed forever when the ship she's aboard is attacked by pirates.
Natalie summons her courage and escapes, only to find herself alone on an island and more in need of strength and backbone than ever before if
she's going to survive.
But Natalie has fiery Irish blood in her veins and she might find she has a temper and stubborn desire to persevere to match!
Natalie's Good Fortune is a darn good classic adventure story with nothing dull about it. Although unlike them in plot and characters, fans of
Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates!, Bloody Jack Adventures, or Stevenson's Treasure Island will thoroughly enjoy Natalie's Good Fortune. The
characters are easy to see in your mind's eye and the scenes and sequences that unfold keep your eyes wide with excitement.
Mr. Fanning's debut novel is utterly readable and highly entertaining--and you won't want to miss the sequel, Isle of Lost Souls. Also look for the
upcoming third volume of Natalie's adventures in The Devil's Footprint (tentative title).
Note:
This is definitely recommended for ages 14+ due to suggestive content (pirates being lewd and teenaged boys being their usual selves). Nothing
explicit, but there is quite a bit--enough that it makes the Bloody Jack Adventures look clean. It didn't bother me, but I like to let people know.
Review by Wendy at posted July 26 July, 2009
Natalie Satterfield is a young lass from London Society. [Sixteen] years old and her mother has just died. Her grandparents decide to send her to
her father in the New Colonies of America, where he is expanding his business.
However, on the sail over, Natalie’s ship is overtaken by pirates. Terrified, but yet still quick witted, Natalie decides she would rather drawn then
let them take her. She jumps out of a port hole and lands in a small row boat that is tied to the ship. She frantically cuts the rope attaching it, and
paddles with all her might to a nearby island. Although they chase her, the waves prevent them from catching her. Not to be undone, they raise
their musket and fire upon her. They presume her dead, but the idea of someone shooting at her has Natalie fainting into the sandy beaches of the
island.
Natalie soon comes upon cannibals on the island. Savages that chase her down the beach until she is rescued by one Captain John [Hayes]. He
was stranded on the island awhile back and is in the process of building a ship to leave. He takes Natalie under his wing, and for the first time in
her life, she has to work. Natalie learns to love island life and working on the ship. But all too soon, they are ready to sail for America and to her
father. But Natalie has changed in the eleven months she has been on the island, and she won’t be the same girl her father remembers.
NATALIE’S GOOD FORTUNE is an adventure you won’t want to miss! Pirates, savages, and tales of the high seas had me turning the pages
into the wee morning. Natalie’s character evolves as she learns some of life’s hardest lessons, and had me cheering her on in some of her
adventures. I haven’t read such a great adventure since Treasure Island! I’ll definitely be picking up the next in the series, Isle of Lost Souls, in
the near future!
her father in the New Colonies of America, where he is expanding his business.
However, on the sail over, Natalie’s ship is overtaken by pirates. Terrified, but yet still quick witted, Natalie decides she would rather drawn then
let them take her. She jumps out of a port hole and lands in a small row boat that is tied to the ship. She frantically cuts the rope attaching it, and
paddles with all her might to a nearby island. Although they chase her, the waves prevent them from catching her. Not to be undone, they raise
their musket and fire upon her. They presume her dead, but the idea of someone shooting at her has Natalie fainting into the sandy beaches of the
island.
Natalie soon comes upon cannibals on the island. Savages that chase her down the beach until she is rescued by one Captain John [Hayes]. He
was stranded on the island awhile back and is in the process of building a ship to leave. He takes Natalie under his wing, and for the first time in
her life, she has to work. Natalie learns to love island life and working on the ship. But all too soon, they are ready to sail for America and to her
father. But Natalie has changed in the eleven months she has been on the island, and she won’t be the same girl her father remembers.
NATALIE’S GOOD FORTUNE is an adventure you won’t want to miss! Pirates, savages, and tales of the high seas had me turning the pages
into the wee morning. Natalie’s character evolves as she learns some of life’s hardest lessons, and had me cheering her on in some of her
adventures. I haven’t read such a great adventure since Treasure Island! I’ll definitely be picking up the next in the series, Isle of Lost Souls, in
the near future!
After the death of her mother, Natalie Satterfield sails to South Carolina to live with her father, a wealthy merchant who hasn’t seen his daughter in
years. When pirates attack her ship, Natalie barely escapes with her life. But three of the rogues chase her to a deserted island. Unable to land there,
one of them believes he shoots her dead. Once they row back to their ship, Natalie regains consciousness. The pampered soon-to-be sixteen year old
hasn’t a clue how to survive. After several days of solitude, she smells a fire and thinking some of her shipmates have survived, she heads toward
them. Instead of finding friends, she stumbles upon cannibals and runs for her life.
Black John Hayes, marooned on the island sometime before, can’t allow the newcomer to be someone’s meal. A pirate he may have been, but he
does have a code of honor. He dashes into the midst of the cannibals and quickly slays them all. Then he takes Natalie under his wing and teaches her
how to survive.
A former shipwright, John enlists Natalie to help him build a boat to take them from the island. After each hard day’s work, he teaches her to fight so
that if the pirates return, she won’t be defenseless. In return for her assistance on the project, he promises to take her to her father. But that meeting is
a long time off, and in between she encounters numerous exploits. Once she reunites with her father, things don’t go exactly as planned.
Stuffed full of adventure, this coming of age tale is a fast-paced roller coaster ride. Nat slowly matures from a spoiled, rich kid into a young woman
who can stand on her two feet and use her head, rather than sit around being waited on. The author’s knowledge of wooden sailing ships and
eighteenth-century pirate lore are deftly woven into a thrilling journey that doesn’t disappoint. Readers who take the plunge with Nat in Natalie’s Good
Fortune will look forward with eager anticipation to her next quest.
years. When pirates attack her ship, Natalie barely escapes with her life. But three of the rogues chase her to a deserted island. Unable to land there,
one of them believes he shoots her dead. Once they row back to their ship, Natalie regains consciousness. The pampered soon-to-be sixteen year old
hasn’t a clue how to survive. After several days of solitude, she smells a fire and thinking some of her shipmates have survived, she heads toward
them. Instead of finding friends, she stumbles upon cannibals and runs for her life.
Black John Hayes, marooned on the island sometime before, can’t allow the newcomer to be someone’s meal. A pirate he may have been, but he
does have a code of honor. He dashes into the midst of the cannibals and quickly slays them all. Then he takes Natalie under his wing and teaches her
how to survive.
A former shipwright, John enlists Natalie to help him build a boat to take them from the island. After each hard day’s work, he teaches her to fight so
that if the pirates return, she won’t be defenseless. In return for her assistance on the project, he promises to take her to her father. But that meeting is
a long time off, and in between she encounters numerous exploits. Once she reunites with her father, things don’t go exactly as planned.
Stuffed full of adventure, this coming of age tale is a fast-paced roller coaster ride. Nat slowly matures from a spoiled, rich kid into a young woman
who can stand on her two feet and use her head, rather than sit around being waited on. The author’s knowledge of wooden sailing ships and
eighteenth-century pirate lore are deftly woven into a thrilling journey that doesn’t disappoint. Readers who take the plunge with Nat in Natalie’s Good
Fortune will look forward with eager anticipation to her next quest.
Review by Cindy Vallar at posted November 4th, 2009
Don't miss Cindy Vallar's award-winning website for a wealth of information and illustrations related to maritime piracy throughout history,
as well as the history of Scotland, book reviews, research links and much more. You can find it all at .
as well as the history of Scotland, book reviews, research links and much more. You can find it all at .