During the spring of 1722, Natalie Brennan Satterfield, the privileged and pampered sixteen year old daughter of a wealthy English merchant, sails upon a ship bound for the colonies of America. Far out to sea, the ship is attacked by pirates, but Natalie manages a desperate escape, only to find herself marooned and alone on a small and insignificant island. Helpless and weak, unable to provide for herself, natalie fears the worst. Soon the young lady discovers she is not the only inhabitant of the island. An aging privateer, John Hayes, has lived on the island for nearly a year, building a boat by scavenging parts from a derelict ship. Natalie becomes his apprentice. She finds she must be strong in body and spirit. She must work, she must think for herself, and she must fight. Everything the young English woman has been taught she cannot do she is compelled to learn in order to survive....More >< Less