KEMOSHA OF THE CARIBBEAN

An enslaved Black girl runs away in search of freedom and becomes a pirate.

Fifteen-year-old Kemosha lives on a plantation in St. Catherine, Jamaica, in 1668. Naïve and inquisitive, her life centers around the cookhouse, where she cooks and cleans, and taking care of her younger brother, Gregory, the only family she has. She does her best to protect him from the harsh plantation owner, Capt. Tate, who is prone to violent rages. One day, Mr. Powell, a White man, arrives at the plantation and purchases Kemosha, separating her from everything she has ever known and taking her to his tavern in Port Royal. Determined to return for Gregory and buy freedom for both of them, Kemosha risks her life by escaping. She is assisted by Ravenhide, a Black man who teaches her sword fighting and survival skills, even helping her to win her freedom. Kemosha’s journey is filled with dangerous challenges, the greatest of which is learning to hack it aboard the ship of the infamous pirate Capt. Morgan. This novel, filled with disturbing, graphic descriptions of violence, has an interesting premise, and Kemosha’s heart and tenacity are endearing. However, readers may have difficulty becoming immersed in the story due to writing that feels heavy-handed and inconsistencies in the language that can come across as more contemporary than historical.

An inventive concept but unsatisfactory delivery.