Under the Jolly Roger facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Louis A. Meyer |
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| Cover artist | Cliff Nielsen |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult, Historical novel |
| Publisher | Harcourt Children's Books |
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Publication date
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August 1, 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback, Paperback) |
| Pages | 528 pages |
| ISBN | 978-0-15-205345-1 |
| OCLC | 56752775 |
| LC Class | PZ7.M57172 Un 2005 |
| Preceded by | Curse of the Blue Tattoo |
| Followed by | In the Belly of the Bloodhound |
Under the Jolly Roger is an exciting historical adventure novel. It's written for young adults and takes place in the early 1800s. This book is the third part of a popular series by L.A. Meyer.
The story of Jacky Faber began in Bloody Jack and Curse of the Blue Tattoo. Her adventures continue in this book and many others, including In the Belly of the Bloodhound, Mississippi Jack, and Rapture of the Deep.
Jacky's New Adventures: Plot Summary
After leaving her boarding school in Boston, Jacky Faber starts a new journey. She joins a whaling ship called the Pequod. On board, she helps the Captain's wife, teaches his son, and assists the cook.
When the ship reaches London, Jacky leaves to find Jaimy, her love. She goes to his house, but Jaimy's mother sends her away. She tells Jacky that Jaimy no longer cares for her. Confused, Jacky talks to the family maid, Hattie. Hattie tells Jacky not to believe Jaimy's mother. She says Jaimy will be at the races at Epsom Downs.
Finding Old Friends and New Troubles
Jacky decides to find Jaimy. First, she visits her old gang's hideout under Blackfriar's Bridge. She doesn't recognize the kids there. They tell her what happened to the old gang members. One former member, Judy, was hired to help an older woman. But Judy never returned to help the gang.
Jacky finds this strange and visits Judy. She discovers Judy is forced to work in a wash house for a cruel man. Jacky bravely rescues Judy. She takes Judy in as her maid and buys her new clothes.
A Misunderstanding at the Races
To get into the racetrack where Jaimy is, Jacky dresses as a jockey. She sees Jaimy with his cousin Emily. Jacky mistakenly thinks Jaimy has found someone new. Heartbroken, she runs away.
She is then captured by a press-gang. These groups forced people into naval service. They mistake Jacky for a boy and take her onto a ship, HMS Wolverine. Jacky is furious and reveals she is a girl.
Life Aboard the Wolverine
Instead of sending her back, the captain keeps her. Jacky knows he has bad intentions. She jumps from the ship into the sea, trying to swim to safety. A small boat is sent to catch her. Jacky tries to stop them by pulling at an oar underwater. This causes a sailor to fall out.
She thinks they will stop to save him, but they keep going. Jacky can't let the sailor drown. She dives down and saves him. When she surfaces, the other men grab her and pull her back onto the ship.
Jacky tells the Captain that if she is to join the crew, she must be a midshipman. She had earned this rank on her previous ship, the Dolphin. After being listed as a midshipman, Jacky settles into her new living space. There, she meets other midshipmen: Georgie Piggott (about eight), Ned Barrow and Tom Wheeler (both twelve), and Robin Raeburne (about sixteen).
Jaimy's Letters and Jacky's Training
Meanwhile, Jaimy writes a letter to Jacky. He explains what happened at the racetrack. He says the girl Jacky saw was his cousin Emily. Emily likes to make other men jealous by going out with Jaimy. Jaimy assures Jacky he still loves her.
Jacky begins training the midshipmen. She puts them on the ship's watch. Jacky also asks the officers for a division to command. She is put in charge of a gun crew, Division One. Jacky learns they have never even fired the guns. She assigns jobs and drills the men in practice runs.
Another letter from Jaimy arrives. He tells Jacky that Judy showed up at his house. Jacky had told Judy to go to Jaimy's if they didn't reunite. Judy tells Jaimy how his mother had thrown Jacky out. Jaimy is very angry. He confronts his mother, and Judy tells the story. His mother then tells Hattie, the maid, to leave. Hattie is upset after many years of service. She tells Jaimy to look in one of his mother's drawers. Jaimy finds letters to and from Jacky there. This makes Jaimy even angrier. He tells his mother he is leaving, and he does, taking Judy and Hattie with him.
Storms and Smuggling
During an early morning watch, Jacky sees a flashing light from the shore. She learns these lights appear weekly. No one knows what they mean, but they must be reported to the Captain. Jacky inspects the ship. She climbs the foremast to check on the lookout. There, she meets Joseph Jared, the Captain of the top. He tells her he is a friend of Billy, the sailor she saved. Jared also tells her the ship is not stopping other ships from passing through the blockade.
One night, Jacky is on watch when a terrible storm hits. She calls it a "living gale." Jacky sees the forestaysail chafing. If it breaks, the ship could be lost. Jacky runs from the quarterdeck and climbs to fix the line. She decides to climb even higher to check for more chafing, even though it's Jared's job. A huge wave crashes over the deck. Jacky holds onto the mast, but she fears being swept away. Just when she thinks she's lost, Jared appears and holds her down, saving her.
Taking Command and Becoming a Pirate
The Captain sends his officers away in a small boat. He then tries to force Jacky to be with him. Jacky tries to find a way to protect herself. However, they are interrupted, and Jacky is sent to the Captain's cabin. A crew member, wanting to protect Jacky, starts dropping cannonballs from the rigging. This angers the Captain, as it's an act of mutiny. He orders the person captured, and it turns out to be Robin. When the Captain tries to harm Jacky, he suddenly becomes ill and dies.
At first, Jacky pretends the Captain is too sick to leave his cabin. She realizes she is now the Captain of the ship. All the higher-ranking sailors were sent away and are gone. She slowly takes command of the Wolverine by pretending her orders come from the dead Captain. After a few days, Jacky tells the crew of the Captain's death.
Jacky discovers the Captain was taking bribes. He was letting ships pass through the blockade. She uncovers a smuggling ring that included French spies. Jacky takes full control of the ship. She releases Robin and makes Joseph Jared, a sailor she befriended, one of her officers. She and her crew capture several French ships. Jacky earns a reputation as La belle jeune fille sans merci, meaning "the beautiful young girl without mercy."
Soon, she is removed from her position as captain. But she manages to escape on one of the captured ships, the Emerald, which she makes her own. She tries to hide from the Admiralty (the British Navy leaders) that she kept the Emerald.
New Beginnings and a Reunion
Along with Higgins, a steward from the Wolverine, Jacky travels to Ireland. She finds her former "sea dad," Liam Delaney. She offers him the role of Captain of the Emerald, while she remains the owner. He accepts, and together they find a crew. They begin privateering, which means they attack enemy ships with government permission.
Jacky becomes close friends with Liam's daughter, Mairead. They become very wealthy. Jacky's reputation grows even more. When the Emerald is in an England port, Jacky is relaxing in the countryside. An older man approaches her. He turns out to be Jacky's grandfather. This is the first family Jacky has had since her parents and sister died, forcing her onto the streets.
Jacky had received a letter of marque (permission to privateer) by revealing the smuggling ring. However, the Admiralty labels her a pirate when they learn she kept the Emerald. Later, she briefly reunites with Jaimy. He is a lieutenant aboard the Wolverine. The Wolverine captures and sinks the Emerald.
Jacky and Jaimy rekindle their relationship. However, the Wolverine gets involved in the Battle of Trafalgar. Jacky escapes the brig (ship's jail) and joins the fight. After the battle, she asks to stay and help the many injured sailors. But the Captain sets her free for her bravery. She then signals Jaimy to meet her in Boston before sailing away in a small boat.
Meet the Characters in "Under the Jolly Roger"
- Mary 'Jacky' Faber: The main character of the story. Jacky is forced into naval service on the Wolverine.
- James 'Jaimy' Fletcher: Jacky's love interest. At first, Jacky thinks he has moved on, but this is proven wrong later.
- Captain Trumbull: Captain of the Wolverine after Scroggs dies. He turns Jacky's former ship against her when she is accused of piracy.
- Abraham Scroggs: The first Captain of the Wolverine. He takes bribes from the French, letting enemy ships pass. His crew is very unhappy and eventually rebels when he threatens Jacky.
- Liam Delaney: Jacky's "sea dad." She reunites with him when she gets her own ship.
- Mairead Delaney: Liam's adventurous daughter. She gains freedom by secretly boarding the Emerald.
- John Higgins: Jacky's steward (helper) aboard the Emerald. He teaches Jacky about fairness and how to be careful with her words.
- Joseph Jared: Jacky's friend on the Wolverine. He saves Jacky's life by shooting a French spy.
- Robin Raeburn: A midshipman on the Wolverine.
- Georgie Piggott: A young ship's boy on the Wolverine whom Jacky helps and guides. He is hurt during the Battle of Trafalgar.
