The Dark Frigate - 1924 Newbery Medal Winner

*This is not the edition I have, although I desperately wish it was! I just love that cover art - it's so over the top campy/hysterical!

Summary:

Phillip Marsham is the young protagonist of this tale. It was never very clear to me how old he was supposed to be, but I'd guess a teenager/young man. Very early in the story his father is lost at sea. This is the start of all his troubles. Life alone in 17th century England is no picnic. Phillip soon finds that the woman who was watching him no longer wants him around now that all hope of marrying his father is gone. Through a series of events involving a misfired gun Phillip finds himself on the run. He eventually finds himself in the company of a rather dubious character named Martin and they both join up to sail on The Rose of Devon.

Phillip's intelligence make him a standout and he is soon named boatswain. All is good aboard the ship until a storm forces a chance meeting with another very damaged ship. It is apparent form the start that this strange crew has sinister plans. Soon The Rose of Devon is taken in a brutal and bloody coup by 'gentlemen of fortune' (also known as pirates). Phillip finds himself with an intense moral dilemma as his sense of justice and loyalty to the old crew is strong. However, failure to submit to the pirates means certain death. His survival instincts are strong and he chooses to become a pirate knowing it means the hangman's noose if he's ever caught. In truth, he never completely submits in mind and spirit. And I'll stop there because I hate giving away spoilers!

Positives:

This story felt very authentic. I particularly appreciated how 'real' the pirates seemed. I've become accustomed to how persistently film and literature romanticizes them and it was really refreshing to see them portrayed as how they likely really are - cruel and cowardly. It's also clear that the author did a lot of period research and worked hard to create a specific time and place. There are a lot of great nautical and period terms and details that the historical fiction aficionado would appreciate. I also thought that the ambiguous ending was very interesting and unconventional for a children's book.

Negatives:

As is often the case some of what was positive can also be viewed as a negative. The most notable is the author's writing style which strove to recreate 17th century prose and dialect. It was, frankly, distracting and really detracted from my enjoyment level. I also never felt very connected to the plot or the characters. There were only a handful of times where I felt really compelled to continue reading, but for the most part reading this was drudgery. I have a really hard time imagining how this would be appealing for children.

My conclusion:

I would recommend this book for die-hard fans of pirate and seafaring adventures and also to people who really enjoy authentic historical fiction. I find that it's often compared to Treasure Island (often not very favorably). I've been interested in reading Treasure Island for quite some time and it would be interesting to compare the two.

Interesting Tidbits:

Author Charles Boardman Hawes died rather young of a sudden and fatal illness. He did not get to see this win the Newbery Medal. His only other book, The Great Quest, was a 1922 Honor book.

*There were no honor books for 1924