Natalie's Good Fortune: A Tale of Piracy and Adventure [Paperback]

Anthony R. Fanning (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

In 1722, after the death of her mother in England, sixteen year old Natalie Satterfield sails across the Atlantic to join her father in the American colonies. Her life is forever changed when the ship she sails upon is attacked by pirates. Managing to escape, Natalie is marooned on an uncharted tropical island in the Caribbean Sea. Natalie finds she is not alone, but shares her island home with a marooned privateer and pirate known as Black John Hayes, a fearsome and courageous veteran of Queen Anne s War. The life of the pampered and privileged London merchant's daughter is soon filled with adventure and peril the likes of which she has only previously known in books, facing pirates, cannibals, storms at sea, starving madmen, and most of all, the merciless tutoring of her new mentor. The two build a boat in which to escape their island prison, Natalie finds strength within her own heart that she never imagined existed. As she pushes ever forward to the American coast, others join the small crew and Natalie learns more of men and boys, and of herself, than she ever would have at the posh garden parties of her genteel upbringing. Having overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Natalie reunites with her father only to find he has begun a new life separate from his family in England. Devastated by rejection, Natalie plots against her father, but finds the opportunity to have revenge on the very pirates who forced her marooning in the first place.

Editorial Reviews

Review

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. - Cindy Vallar --Pirates and Privateers - The History of Maritime Piracy

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! - Shannon Yarbrough --The LL Book Review

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. --The Magic of Ink

Product Details

• Paperback: 413 pages
• Publisher: Bilge Barrel Press; Second Paperback edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615288499
• ISBN-13: 978-0615288499
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,342,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A good first effort, with flaws, January 4, 2012

By 

Tom Knapp "Rambles.NET editor" (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natalie's Good Fortune: A Tale of Piracy and Adventure (Paperback)

I love a good pirate yarn. And "Natalie's Good Fortune," by first-time author Anthony Fanning, is a good pirate yarn. But Fanning almost lost me in the beginning, long before a single pirate was seen.

For one thing, the story is packed with typographical errors. But a good editor also could have helped Fanning tame his style. In the first few chapters especially, the author demonstrates a love for adjectives that far exceeds the demands of the story. His florid writing style is top-heavy, never sacrificing five words when a 20-word exposition would do.

Also, this novel -- which has as its protagonist a 16-year-old girl -- is written in a style that seems most appropriate for young-adult readers. While it certainly doesn't match the flavor of L.A. Meyer's free-spirited Jacky Faber series, Natalie Satterfield is an appealing character, and readers will enjoy the experiences that thrust her from the comfortable life of a young English lady and into the ill-fitting shoes of a castaway and gender-disguised sailor. Unfortunately, the book's young-adult standing is jeopardized by Fanning's abundant focus on the perils of rape, which just seems a bit overused from beginning to end. You'll also read your share about young men and shipboard sodomy, too.

Even so, Natalie is -- or, rather, becomes -- a strong, resourceful character that it's a treat to know. Supporting characters, from the coarse but noble privateer Black John Hayes to the young, terrified stowaway George and even Natalie's rarely seen parents, are well developed and intriguing.

The story, set in 1722-23, is packed with adventure, from pirate attacks to island cannibals, roaring sea battles and sudden squalls. I'm sure Natalie will continue to grow in future volumes.

by Tom Knapp, the Rambles.(net) guy

5.0 out of 5 stars NATALIE'S GOOD FORTUNE is an adventure you won't want to miss!, March 31, 2011

By 

Wendy L. Hines "MindingSpot" (Warsaw, IN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natalie's Good Fortune: A Tale of Piracy and Adventure (Paperback)

Natalie Satterfield is a young lass from London Society. Thirteen 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 Blackbeard. 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!