Witch from the Sea

by Lisa Jensen

In 1823, Tory Lightfoot runs away from Boston's soul-stifling Worthen Academy for Women where her rebellious nature and mixed blood are the source of constant scorn and abuse. Seeking freedom that she... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967959152
• ISBN13: 9780967959153
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Beagle Bay Books
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

"The Witch" is a beauty!

Steeped in historical ambiance, "The Witch from the Sea" provides a richly entertaining look at the arduous, yet strangely beautiful life of seafaring privateers in the nineteenth century. The heroine, Tory Lightfoot, is a hardy adventurer worthy of Anne Bonny and Grace O'Malley. Tory meets life with courage and grace, reveling in the demands of her chosen career, set on proving to herself and the world that there's more to her than meets the eye. To my mind, Lisa Jensen has a written an exemplary tale of courage and romance. A rare find, I look forward to the sequel!

A fun read.

This first novel is well written, fast paced, vivid and an all over fun book to read. The time and place come to life as you sail the blue seas with unforgettable pirates that break away from the usual sterotypes. And there's romance as well. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Pirate Adventure Rather than Bodice Ripper

"Witch from the Sea" is not a pirate-themed "bodice ripper" but a "coming of age adventure story", with a spirited female adolescent lead character. Tory is a feisty orphaned runaway from a stuffy Boston girls school (she was sent there by her blue-blood Bostonian aunt who disapproved of her half-Indian blood). After she dons boy's clothing, and stows away on a ship leaving Boston Harbour, she is soon discovered and put to work learning the ropes as part of the merchant ship's crew. Then comes the pirate attack. Tory betrays the location of the contraband silver in order to save a fellow crewman's life. Knowing she'd be no longer safe aboard the merchant vessel, she willingly joins up with the pirates. Till now, everyone had believed her to be a lad, but the pirates soon find out differently. Luckily, by the time that happens, she has taken the oath and signed articles with Capt. Hart, who thus proclaims her as a regular crewmember, despite her gender. Very few of the diverse, colorful crew is happy with a female aboard, but amidst the glares, harassment, and near disasters, she adapts to her new life, and manages to create a niche for herself.The era is the 1820's, a time when many pirates were Cuban, and most Caribbean ports friendly to pirates are Spanish colonial backwaters. The U.S. Navy is determinedly tracking down all pirates. Capt. Hart, though Scottish himself, has a largely Cuban crew, with Spanish as the "official" language of the his ship. Tory (and the reader) quickly learns some important (and colorful) phrases in Spanish. And she learns much more - sailing, fighting, circus tumbling, and ... even love.True ... while this is more of an adventure story, rather than a romance, it doesn't mean there aren't some passionate moments, and a love interest (after a stumbling false start).While no Patrick O'Brian or C.S. Forester, author Lisa Jensen gives you enough of a feel of shipboard life, and swashbuckling action, along with a mix of grimy, seedy reality, that even the lads out there might enjoy this book.

What a delight!

The Witch from the Sea has it all--swashbuckling adventure, sea and ship lore, a down-to-earth character you enjoy rooting for, and on top of everything, a moving love story! What impressed me most is the writing, from the pacing to character development to just plain well written, evocative sentences. Such authors are rare, and I cannot wait for the sequel!Carolyn Woolston

Turn off the phone -- you won't want to put this one down!

Absolutely wonderful book by this new author! It reads like Jane Eyre goes to Treasure Island and becomes Moll Flanders. Piracy, romance and coming-of-age wrapped into one fast-reading package. You will enjoy this terrific novel!