not a book club book read while in bahamas ( )

A short life but a merry one, was the code by which Mary Read, Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham lived by. The Only Life That Mattered by James Nelson is based on the true story of these notorious pirates of the Caribbean. Together these three cut a wide swath through the West Indies shipping lanes, plundering, stealing and fighting all in order to live the life of freedom that they desired.

James Nelson tells their story from their first meeting to the end of their time in the Sweet Trade. This is a story full of adventure and action, yet he sticks very close to the actual facts that are known about this trio. His descriptions of pirate society is colourful and convincing. The author is able to make these figures come alive on the pages as he expresses each characters inner thoughts and emotions in a very believable way. With the limited historical knowledge that there is on these people, he traces the very different steps each took that led them to make the choices that they did.

The Only Life That Mattered was a very enjoyable read and shined a spotlight on both the pirate way of life and in particular two woman who lived very different lives from what was considered the norm for their time, embracing a life of adventure and freedom for whatever short period they were able to have. ( )