Taken Aback

The preacher warned that Port Royal, the largest English-speaking city in the New World, was so wrought with sin that one day, God would destroy it like Sodom and Gomorrah. But the capital of seventeenth century Jamaica and home to the most notorious pirates of the Caribbean enjoyed its reputation as Sin City. In 1692, the sea opened up and swallowed Port Royal.

Taken Aback is a story of the burgeoning colonies of the New World as seen through the eyes of three unforgettable people. At fifteen, Sally Montague is anticipating her debut in England's West Country aristocracy, but instead she and her younger brother, James, are swept across the Atlantic to a sugar plantation in Nevis. Denied his heritage by England's civil war, Captain Edward Waller is obsessed with the belief that his businesses in Massachusetts will restore his name and fortune for the sake of a woman he is obliged to keep and another that he cannot have. The three struggle to survive in colonies fraught with perils from man and nature - hurricanes, wars, droughts, plagues, floods, revolts, corruption and betrayals. Through entangled romance, confused passions and determination, Sally cuts an existence from the land. James, lured by the promise of quick riches through sanctioned thievery, follows the Brotherhood to life as a buccaneer, while Edward commits to building the infamous Golden Triangle of trade. This is a novel infused with actual events and authentic characters, a fascinating blend of truth and fiction, and an adventurous journey of discovery and conquest of land and emotion.