As I mentioned in my blog post last week, my friend E.G. Bella published her book Cabin Girl!
This is such an awesome story and I can’t recommend it enough! Make sure you get a copy of her book and share with your friends! You can also read some fun launch week blog posts from last week on her site: https://egbella.com/blog/.
Get a copy of her book on Amazon or order a signed copy from Bella!
My Summary: After Papa never came home from sea eight years ago, Mama hasn’t been the same. From that day on, Eirinn O’Connell became the breadwinner and caregiver to her mama and little sister. She dreams of being a healer, but because of her crippled spine no one takes her seriously. Eirinn dresses as a boy to go into the village until the night her world falls apart yet again. Pirates invade the village and Eirinn is taken captive and brought aboard The Lonely Eye.
Bound for the slave market in Morocco, the hope of any future except that of slavery and early death seems impossible. Eirinn’s life is spared by the infamous Captain Gideon Gills, who makes her his cabin girl. She spends her days swabbing decks, dishing meals, caring for the sick quartermaster, and doing whatever else the brutal Captain requires.
But on a pirate ship, things are never at ease. Whispers of mutiny haunt the Lonely Eye and sharks circle in the dark waters below. Only through courage, forgiveness, and faith in God will Eirinn be able to withstand the trials before her. But even if she survives the voyage, how will she ever make it home?
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My Review:1
Characters: My favorite part about Cabin Girl was the characters. They are real and raw. I felt for them and understood them. I saw their strengths and their faults. And I saw them as real people who had a story and life of their own, even if you only caught a glimpse of it in Cabin Girl. Eirinn was a strong but not overly strong female character who was both inspiring and relatable. I could feel her emotions with her and her reactions to situations are both human and heroic. Captain Gills made me shudder and smile, laugh and cry, cringe and wonder. His villainy and humanity were combined to create the perfect character for the situation. I rarely knew what he would do next or how Eirinn would react to it. As for the other characters, the friends, the enemies and everything in between, they never felt one-dimensional or like they only existed to bring a certain plot point or emotion to a scene.
In a novel such as this, it would have been easy to have a few main characters and then leave all the “extra” pirates and prisoners as vague elements of the story. However, Bella didn’t do that! The side characters are just as real as the main ones. Each pirate has his own personality, superstitions, goals, and achievements. You get the idea that each character has a life both before and after the story, and that there is more to what happens in each character’s life that just what we see in the novel.
Setting: Another amazing thing about Cabin Girl was how realistic it was. I know Bella did a lot of research while writing this novel, and it shows! But it’s not just that the story is plausible, or that the historical facts are correct, but that in reading Cabin Girl you actually feel like you’re there. I don’t think many of us have been kidnapped by pirates, but the experience she gives us is superb. Through words on a page I could smell sea air, taste fish, feel the sting of angry words or angry fists, hear the Captain’s growling voice, and see land on the horizon.
It was easy to imagine what The Lonely Eye looked like, and the glossary in the back for naval terms was really helpful. Though most of the story took place at sea, there were a couple chapters in Ireland and Morocco as well. You could feel the atmosphere of the different settings as if you were there.
Plot: The plot in Cabin Girl was captivating. There was never a dull moment and every scene had its place. Bella’s storytelling captures the monotony of life on a ship with the adventures and dangers that come with it. I never knew what would happen next, but in hindsight everything made sense. The plot twists were well developed and intriguing. I have read Cabin Girl twice now, and I appreciated the plot differently each time. The first time through, I didn’t know what would happen, and the second time, I remembered the main points, but wasn’t sure how we got there. I was on the edge of my seat both times!
Themes: In a good story, the author should never have to say “the moral of the story is…” or “this should teach us that…” Well, I can say that this is a good story. 🙂 Bella’s themes of faith, family, redemption, forgiveness, and courage are the heart of the story. They are deep and meaningful and her Christian message shines through naturally, never feeling forced. Though it is a fictional story, it teaches us important truths about God, others, ourselves.
In conclusion, Cabin Girl is an excellent book for readers of all ages, but I would especially recommend it for pre-teens, teens, and young adults who love Christian historical fiction full of action and adventure.
- Note: I wrote a review for Bella a couple years ago when I did a beta read of Cabin Girl. Some of this post is from that review, the rest of it is my further thoughts after reading the finished novel more recently.