The Pirate Queen

By: Patricia Hickman

Narrated by: Flora Plumb

Treasure is found in the most unlikely places.

The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of Southern gentility and accomplishment. She lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon - and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of her picturesque-but-vacant life.

Saphora’s departure is interrupted by her husband Bender’s early arrival home, and his words that change her life forever: I’m dying.

Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. They relocate, at his insistance, to their coastal home in Oriental—the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora’s escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined.

As she gropes for evidence of God's presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?

©2010 Patricia Hickman (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

“In The Pirate Queen, Patricia Hickman explores the question that haunts us all: ‘am I enough?’ Saphora Warren has all the trappings of the good life, yet is trapped in her own good graces. On the eve of her escape, she is forced by her own moral code to stay the course. Adrift in her emotions, Saphora learns to navigate her life from the inside. The words are poetic, the story is sublime: you will root for this good woman to claim the treasure we all seek: a life full of love. Saphora Warren is more than enough. And like a true Pirate Queen, she will steal your heart as well.” (LESLIE LEHR, author of Wife Goes On)

“The Pirate Queen is a poignant, inspiring tale of finding faith, hope, and love in the midst of loss. Patricia Hickman, you owe me a box of tissues!” (TAMARA LEIGH, author of Leaving Carolina and Nowhere, Carolina)

“Patricia Hickman’s The Pirate Queen was so much more than I expected. She’s a fine writer, so my expectations were high. She surpassed them. From the Southern Living photo shoot at the beginning to the final scene, I enjoyed each twist and turn in the plotline. An extraordinary tale of deep feelings and God’s love.” (DONITA K. PAUL, author of The DragonKeeper Chronicles and Dragons of the Valley)