Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "zheng-yi-sao"

Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao by Helaine Becker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Dreams and reality are very different, and fate cares little for a person’s hopes. When pirates attack a village, they take the usual plunder, as well as girls. So it is that one of these finds herself desired by the pirate captain. But she refuses to marry Zheng Yi unless he gives her an equal share. Her boldness pleases him and they wed, but six years later he dies. Since fate has dealt her a path she didn’t expect, she assumes control of the pirates with the help of a lieutenant named Zhang Bao. Together they forge a pirate confederation that is invincible.

This first-person narrative recounts the story of the most successful pirate, a woman whose name is unknown, but is known as Zheng Yi Sao (“wife of Zheng Yi”). Although this is a picture book, it is geared toward young pirates who can read. Yet it is also a tale that will engage adult pirates as well. Becker does a commendable job keeping the narrative g-rated, historically accurate, and on an even keel. The combination of subtle text and expressive pictures weaves a convincing tale filled with emotion and conveys a sense of place that transports readers back to China at the turn of the nineteenth century. For readers who wish to know more about the real Zheng Yi Sao, Becker summarizes what we know of her and includes resources where additional information can be found. Pirate Queen is a wonderful introduction to a successful pirate who never forgot she was a woman and who forged a second life once she retired from the sea.




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The Flower Boat Girl: A novel based on a true story by Larry Feign

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Zheng Yi Sao or “wife of Zheng” – this is how history remembers this 19th-century woman. But who was she? How did she go from lowly prostitute to leader of a pirate confederation? These are questions that Larry Feign answers in his retelling of her story.

The first seven years of Shek Yang’s life are unremarkable. She is the daughter of a boat couple, a family that lives and works on the water. Her mother raises her to be a good daughter, one who will eventually marry and raise a family of her own. Her father teaches her the ways of the sea, since he has no sons. But life changes when her mother dies in childbirth. Her father incurs debts that necessitate the selling of Yang into slavery and she becomes a flower boat girl. Her beauty and skills at pleasuring men bring her sufficient sums to buy her freedom. Her shame continues into adulthood, for she knows no other trade and has vowed long ago never to marry or to have children.

In the sixth year of Emperor Ka-hing’s reign, seedy junks with tiger eyes upend Yang’s world. Boat people and villagers flee for the safety of the temple, but those who live on land look down upon Yang, slamming the door before she can enter. Taken by the pirates, she knows exactly what will become of her. She will be sold back into slavery because there is no one to pay her ransom. Death seems a better option, but she refuses to succumb without a fight. Her defiance disrespects Cheng Yat, leader of the pirates. Rather than putting her to death, he takes her as his own and she becomes his possession to do with as he wishes.

Yang hates the sea, but it is now the world in which she must survive. Boredom is a constant companion. As Cheng’s wife, some pirates show small overtures of acceptance. Others see her merely as a usurper. She finally decides she must do something to occupy her days. The powerful and essential, but neglected, guns rouse her curiosity and she convinces the master gunner to teach her all he knows even though these weapons are the domain only of men. During a battle, one of the assailants attacks the master gunner. Yang slays the attacker. The act gains her more acceptance among her fellow pirates, but forever alters her soul. She is now a pirate, a killer, and there is no going back.

As the days pass, she also observes that Cheng is being cheated and that there must be better ways to make money than constantly hunting for prey. His fleet of five junks preys upon the same vessels all the other pirates seek. Grand ideas and dreams of forming a pirate empire begin to emerge, but implementing them will require time and the wisdom to convince Cheng that her way is the right way – a reality that leads to contention. Sometimes, the consequence of a wish granted is the payment of a dear and often unforeseen price.

Opening the cover of this book is like stepping into a vivid painting of a bygone era. Through visual imagery and melodic prose, Feign transports us back to the first decade of 19th-century China. He masterfully depicts the world of Asian piracy, in a way that is both familiar and foreign. Many pirates populate this tale, but each has distinctive qualities that make the character stand out in different ways. By book’s end, we feel as if we know the real Yang. We may not always like her, but we admire and respect her for what she’s able to achieve in spite of her past and the twists that fate dealt her.

Those readers familiar with the real Zheng Yi Sao or Cheng I Sao will not recognize the names Feign uses. Rather than use those names which come from Mandarin, he employs Cantonese versions since that was the language of the people who dwelt on the south coast of China. He also includes a character list, glossary, and map for readers.

The story unfolds from Shek Yang’s perspective, detailing her life from childhood to the day in which she becomes the leader of the pirate confederation. Feign artfully weaves festivals, a typhoon, war, superstitions, Chinese customs, ambushes, fireboats, and the pirates’ struggle with the navy into this tale. Perhaps the strangest custom involves Yang’s pregnancy. The most gut-wrenching scene is the one depicting Cheng’s disappearance. For history buffs, there is the Tay-Son Rebellion in Vietnam and the pirate captivity of John Turner. The Flower Boat Girl provides compelling answers to the mysteries surrounding Yang and Cheng. This haunting, yet eye-opening tale is as “Beautiful as a butterfly, fierce as a tiger.” (Loc 344 of 6794, Chapter 2)




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