Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "barbados"

The Sugar Winds by Lyle Garford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In December 1799, Jamaica’s governor sets in motion a secret invasion plan under the direction of Royal Navy Captain Horatio Nelson and Army Captain John Polson. Nelson, new to the region, lacks knowledge of the Spanish Main, so Sir James Standish recommends Owen Spence. Forced out of the Royal Navy on false charges in the past, he is a trader who spies for the Crown.

Spain has entered America’s War of Independence, which leads to shortages and hardship in the Caribbean. Instrumental in bringing necessities to Barbados, Owen fears the situation will only worsen and further endanger England’s West Indian colonies. Aside from sharing his knowledge with Nelson and Polson, he also ventures to Spanish ports to garner information both for the planned invasion and for his spymaster.

The direness facing Owen’s family and friends on Barbados only worsens when a major hurricane strikes. Its damage is far-reaching, affecting many of the Caribbean islands, and Owen and his crew do what they can to supply food and materials to their home base, as well as islands that are technically enemy territory but whose inhabitants often provide him with vital information.

Equally concerning are the rumors of a French invasion. Owen must find out whether they are grounded in fact or are just misinformation. If the former, what is the enemy’s intended target? Ferreting out the truth requires courage, daring, and the willingness to infiltrate French territory. In doing so, he also learns that an old nemesis is present. What he does not know is that this nemesis is aware of his presence.

The book reads like a series of vignettes that relate historical events without deep involvement by the principal characters. Owen is an observer, an essential skill for someone who gathers information, but his being so means the reader also watches from the sidelines instead of being fully immersed in the story. For example, the fleet battle between the British and the French unfolds as Owen and his men watch from a safe distance, except when an enemy vessel intends to run through them to escape a Royal Navy ship. Owen’s impressions of what he witnesses or experiences are what help tie the narrative together.

Several interwoven threads also bind the story together. One involves Owen’s struggles between duty and love. Another concerns slavery, which is somberly portrayed when Owen and his crew come to the aid of a ship in distress. The third involves the unfair treatment of island inhabitants when outsiders invade. Garford does a commendable job showing the controversial complexity of Admiral Rodney, a man determined to enrich his pockets while also being a skilled tactician. Equally noteworthy is his portrayal of the Zong massacre, an incident that impacts Owen in unexpected ways as this trilogy draws to a close.

The Sugar Winds takes place in the opening years of the 1780s. It is a time when world events have a great impact on the West Indies, yet most readers are unaware of these incidents, such as the capture of St. Eustatius and the Battle of the Saintes. Readers familiar with the previous titles will enjoy finding out what happens to the various characters. Newcomers with an interest in obscure history will find the happenings here illuminating.



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