Set in the 1750s, Star-Crossed is the story of Patricia, born illegitimate in the West Indies. Initially, she is a fortunate out-of-wedlock child, for she has an indulgent father who sends her to a British girls’ school. The story begins as the 17-year-old heroine learns her father has died, leaving her nothing. Being a strong-minded, athletic girl, she decides to stow away on board a merchantman bound for Barbados and claim her promised inheritance: a sugar plantation. How she manages to get aboard—and, after her inevitable discovery, how she manages to remain—is a tribute to a combination of knowing when to give in and steely willpower.
The picture of life on a sailing vessel is packed with fascinating detail because the author is an experienced sailor. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the voyage, and the landfalls at various Caribbean islands. The characters are well-drawn and the dialogue rings true. Patricia is an engaging heroine, and the non-genre ending will give her young readers a lot to think and argue about. Her transition to adulthood and the path she takes to personal freedom are the stuff of seafaring legend.