The Wrecker’s Daughter
By G. M. Baker
By G. M. Baker
Publication Date: 6th January 2025
Publisher: Stories All the Way Down
Page Length: 305
Genre: Historical Fiction
Welcome to St. Rose, Cornwall, where the merry villagers make their living by wrecking ships and stealing their cargoes, where weddings are interrupted to loot shipwrecked schooners, where the parson is in the wrecker's pay and preaches a wrecker's gospel and Christmas is celebrated with fist fights and pistol shots.
Meet Hannah Pendarves, first daughter of the village, who thinks anyone from as far away as the next town is a foreigner and not to be trusted. But Hannah's small world cracks open when she discovers that her father is part of a vast syndicate of wreckers and smugglers.
When the syndicate places Hannah as a spy in the house of Francis Keverne, a kindly and upright Falmouth shipping agent, Hannah begins to question the wrecker's gospel and regret the blood that is on her hands. Now the wrecker's daughter must choose between her father and Francis while with every step she feels the devil, and the syndicate, snapping at her heels.
She was their champion, their savior, their provider. She was a soldier of St. Rose and a spy in the camp of Keverne, in the camp of Falmouth, in the camp of England.
Hannah Pendarves may not have the pretty face that men typically fawn over, but she is no man’s fool.
Raised as the daughter of a wrecker, the shadows of criminality run through her family like an inescapable thread. But hidden beneath her tough exterior is a sharp and cunning mind. She’s exceptionally skilled at deception, seamlessly infiltrating the opulent world of a shipping agent using a persona. With her position secured, Hannah can now provide crucial intel on ships, pinpointing those lucrative for wrecking.
But it would only take one wrong word for her to be discovered, and if she was discovered, there would be a hangman’s noose with her name on it.
“The Wrecker’s Daughter” by G. M. Baker is a captivating tale that follows the unforgettable journey of Hannah Pendarves.
The dramatic and rugged Cornish coastline serves as a striking backdrop for the criminal activities that unfold in this gripping tale. St. Rose Bay, a quaint and close-knit community, views anyone or anything from beyond its borders as foreign. In this insular world, even the King of England seems insignificant, overshadowed by their own local royalty—Hap Pendarves, a figure as enigmatic as the sea that surrounds them. This den of criminality makes St. Rose Bay a dangerous place, as its residents rely on shipwrecks for their livelihood. They do go to great lengths to abide by the law; if there are no survivors from a shipwreck, the cargo is theirs for the taking. Strangely, there are never any survivors.
Hap Pendarves, the formidable leader of the wreckers, is a man whose temper flares like a storm at sea, and whose patience wears thinner than a threadbare sail. Despite his fiery demeanour, he commands deep respect in the village, where he is seen as a protector of the community. With sharp eyes that scan the horizon for flotsam and wreckage, he tirelessly ensures that the treacherous coastline provides enough shipwrecks to keep the villagers warm and well-fed during the harsh winter months. However, as a father, he has many shortcomings. His interpretation of the Bible concerning shipwrecks is questionable. He insists that saving people from the wrecks would bring misfortune to the village, claiming that all who are wrecked must be sacrificed to the sea for the good of the community. To some extent, he is correct; a dead man’s voice is silent, and no one wants to end up hanging from a rope. Moreover, it financially benefits the village if no one survives. Hap Pendarves is a complex figure whom readers may find difficult to fully like or dislike. He is a man born to lead, and he does so admirably, even if he is engaged in criminal activities.
Hap has three children: Hannah, Simon, and Marion. His chaotic lifestyle has woven itself into the very fabric of their lives. Among the siblings, Marion stands out as a beacon of innocence, her gentle spirit a stark contrast to the darker natures of her siblings. Simon, who has a propensity for violence, embodies cruelty, while Hannah unnervingly mirrors her father’s traits. As a child, Hannah commits a shocking act of murder over something as trivial as buttons. As she matures, Hannah transforms into a cunning criminal mastermind, infiltrating the shipping industry to secure a reliable stream of vessels for the syndicate's dubious enterprises. Resourceful and resolute, she faces danger head-on, driven by an insatiable ambition that often leads her to exploit those around her, rendering her moral compass deeply questionable.
Throughout much of the narrative, Hannah expertly balances two contrasting worlds and identities. On one hand, she is a formidable criminal, the daughter of a wrecker; on the other, she embraces the persona of Charity Godwin, a devoted and trustworthy servant whose role becomes pivotal in the unfolding drama. She serves the cantankerous lady of Keverne House, a woman notorious for her difficulty in retaining staff. Hannah rises to the esteemed position of housekeeper—a feat extraordinary for someone so young. The irony of Charity’s elevated status is not lost on either her or the reader; she keenly recognises the opportunities it affords her, and it becomes a stepping stone toward more than she ever imagined. Not your typical heroine, Hannah embodies all the characteristics of an anti-hero. She may not capture the reader’s heart, but she certainly captures their attention.
The novel features a host of supporting characters, including members of the nobility. Lady Eliza Penrose finds herself in a desperate situation, yet the sea demands its sacrifice. Lady Amelia, with her rose-tinted glasses, romanticises the idea of poverty, despite never having tasted its bitter fruits. Mr. Earnest Keverne, unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, leaves an indelible mark on the narrative that continues to haunt it. His brother, Francis Keverne, embodies goodness, but his unyielding belief in the inherent good nature of others can lead him astray. Sir Arthur Goldsworthy, the Vice Admiral for Cornwall, is shrouded in moral ambiguity, a quality reflected in his son, Sir Henry Goldsworthy. Meanwhile, Dr. Marsland operates within a murky ethical realm, profiting from his services to the upper class by charging exorbitant fees that match the opulence of his clientele. Within this atmosphere, a cesspool of criminals and their unscrupulous accomplices thrives in Falmouth, a town steeped in darkness that even Hap describes as “wicked,” casting a shadow over its streets and its inhabitants. In contrast, Harriet Chegwidden from St. Rose Bay has endured profound losses but takes on the role of stepmother without a shred of compassion for her new family, maintaining an emotional distance and a sense of dislike. David Hardwick longs for a life beyond that of a wrecker’s existence, aspiring to something greater than the grim reality he currently inhabits. And like Earnest Keverne, Mr Hastings knows too much. All supporting characters contribute significantly to the narrative’s progression. Their actions and motivations generate tension, immersing readers in a whirlwind of emotions while keeping them breathlessly poised on the edge of their seats.
Baker employs a powerful narrative voice, a rich vocabulary, and vivid descriptions that enhance the suspenseful and atmospheric reading experience. Every word is carefully chosen; for instance, as children grow into adults, their language evolves as well. Baker crafts a detailed and nuanced landscape that immerses readers in the complexities of the historical period, vividly bringing it to life with remarkable clarity and depth. Additionally, the use of the Cornish dialect adds authenticity to the story.
“The Wrecker’s Daughter” by G. M. Baker is a captivating novel that deserves the highest accolades, as it masterfully captures the essence of the life of a wrecker in Cornwall during this era. Though traditional heroes are absent from this narrative, the emotional depth and resilience of Hannah’s character invite readers to delve into her struggles and triumphs, making the reader feel as though they are stepping directly into her tumultuous reality. This is a mesmerising book that captivates the reader from the very first page, drawing the reader into its world and making it nearly impossible to set aside until you reach what becomes a somewhat dreaded conclusion.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
G. M. Baker
Born in England to a teamster's son and a coal miner's daughter, G. M. (Mark) Baker now lives in Nova Scotia with his wife, no dogs, no horses, and no chickens. He prefers driving to flying, desert vistas to pointy trees, and quiet towns to bustling cities. As a reader and as a writer, he does not believe in confining himself to one genre. He writes about kind abbesses and melancholy kings, about elf maidens and ship wreckers and shy falconers, about great beauties and their plain sisters, about sinners and saints and ordinary eccentrics. In his newsletter Stories All the Way Down, he discusses history, literature, the nature of story, and how not to market a novel.
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Congratulations, your book sounds fabulous.
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