[photo credit: City of Pasadena]
Over twenty years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, amassing enemies and gold. But when fellow pirates move to profit from the slave trade, she abandons piracy, instead beginning “to plot a war of liberation,” sacrificing fortune for principle.
Jacquotte Delahaye likely never existed—no period sources confirm her biography. Yet Riley’s treatment reflects her artistic mission: centering women’s triumphs rather than suffering. “I try to bring you stories that show women developing their voices and their agency to do wonderful things for themselves, their sisters, family, or community,” Riley has said.
The novel centers on Jacquotte’s romantic entanglement with Lizzôa d’Erville, a courtesan “who deals in secrets and sex,” underscoring themes of identity and concealment. Riley, who holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford, has written over 21 books. Her earlier novel “Island Queen” earned a Good Morning America Buzz Pick and has been optioned for film adaptation.
“Fire Sword and Sea” reflects Riley’s consistent focus on freedom, race, and historical power—themes she explored in “Sister Mother Warrior,” about women who shaped the Haitian Revolution.
Author Talk: Swashbuckling Heroines and High Seas Adventures with Novelist Vanessa Riley will run on Thursday, February 5 at 4 p.m. PST. Pasadena Public Library, 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, Calif. For more information, call (626) 744-4066 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/library/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D194039085.
