Maggie Secara's "Molly September" is rich in historical detail, extraordinarily well-researched ... and downright brilliant.The title character is the well-to-do daughter of the late privateer, Rafe September, reputed to be one of the finest ship's pilots ever known in Port Royal and its environs. Molly chafes under the mores of Restoration-era life, with conservative relatives as guardians -- who plan to marry her off to a thoroughly unpleasant gentleman.When Molly meets Dick Prentiss, the now-pilot of her late father's ships, her world is set on its ear -- in more ways than one. Soon, she finds herself at sea with her father's crew, and gets an education in life and love that catches her by surprise.Secara's tale is richly woven, with prose so evocative that I swore I could *smell* things she wrote about. She has created a convincing world peopled with fascinating characters and their stories. Highly recommended.
