Pirates & Privateers: Jeanne Brownlee Becijos's Books

Forethought and enterprising best describe young Christopher Hawkins. He has a dream and wants to be ready when the day comes to make that dream a reality, which is why he practices stowing away on a boat docked in Providence, Rhode Island. On the day the colony declares it no longer owes its loyalty to King George, he asks to join his best friend as a cabin boy aboard Commodore Whipple’s ship in the Continental Navy. Despite his father’s support for independence, his answer is a resounding “No!”

Mr. Hawkins has other plans for Christopher, and they have nothing to do with sailing. Instead, when Christopher turns twelve in 1776, he begins his seven-year apprenticeship at a tannery where the air reeks and danger abounds. Plus, one worker likes to torture Christopher and the other young apprentice. Too young to do anything about his father’s promise or the situation, Christopher accepts his fate and bides his time. One day, he will go to sea and fight for America.

On the one-year anniversary of his apprenticeship, he reads an advertisement for work aboard a privateer. Even though he knows there will be severe consequences for breaking his contract at the tannery, he reckons the owner will have to catch him first. That will be difficult if he’s at sea, so Christopher runs away and signs aboard the Eagle as a cabin boy. The tannery owner isn’t the only one looking for him. So are the British. Sooner than he expects, Christopher finds himself a prisoner aboard one of His Majesty’s ships. He does as he’s told, but he also plans. One day, he will be free!

This novel is based on the real-life exploits of Christopher Hawkins, a young New England lad determined to fight for his country. His actual memoir – written at age seventy, in 1834 – is currently housed in the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although the author, one of his descendants, felt others needed to know his story, she wanted to fill in the blanks not discussed in the memoir. This fictional version of his early life abounds with determination and ingenuity, for Christopher escaped several times during the war, including from the notorious prison hulk Jersey, which was a death trap for anyone imprisoned there.

Christopher Hawkins and His Daring Escapes is more than just a tale of war. It’s also a coming-of-age tale that shows how Christopher learns and matures as he faces new and difficult situations, including the tearing apart of his family and the death of friends. No matter how dire the situation, he never gives up and one of the most important lessons he comes to understand is the meaning of freedom.

Although written for pirate apprentices, adults will enjoy this adventure too. The narrative is fast-paced and easy to read. Several pictures are also included, as is a map of Christopher’s escape route. Anyone wishing to view the American Revolution, colonial life, and privateering from a child’s perspective will find this a gripping tale intertwined with historical details that enrich the setting.

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