The Pirate Queen

Hickman's novel is a good fit for fans of Nicholas Sparks. Wealthy and isolated in her beautiful Southern home, Saphora is in late middle age when she finally gets up the gumption to leave her philandering husband, a plastic surgeon, only to return when she learns he's dying of a brain tumor. Narrator Flora Plumb does a more than admirable job creating empathy for characters one comes to really care about. (Still, some listeners may wonder if the sudden re-emergence of her husband's love isn't a bit self-serving when he's been such a skunk for so many years.) Multiple other characters come into play, however, and Plumb portrays them all with nuanced performances that bring this big canvas to life with gentleness and affection. D.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine