Cinnamon and Gunpowder: A Buddy Read with Dani

Format/source: Hardcover/Library
Published: June 2013 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Length: 318 pages 
Genre: Historical fiction
Target Age: Adult
#OwnVoices: Not applicable
★★★

The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot. He will be spared, she tells him, as long as he puts exquisite food in front of her every Sunday without fail. To appease the red-haired captain, Wedgwood gets cracking with the meager supplies on board. His first triumph at sea is actual bread, made from a sourdough starter that he leavens in a tin under his shirt throughout a roaring battle, as men are cutlassed all around him. Soon he’s making tea-smoked eel and brewing pineapple-banana cider.

But Mabbot—who exerts a curious draw on the chef—is under siege. Hunted by a deadly privateer and plagued by a saboteur hidden on her ship, she pushes her crew past exhaustion in her search for the notorious Brass Fox. As Wedgwood begins to sense a method to Mabbot’s madness, he must rely on the bizarre crewmembers he once feared: Mr. Apples, the fearsome giant who loves to knit; Feng and Bai, martial arts masters sworn to defend their captain; and Joshua, the deaf cabin boy who becomes the son Wedgwood never had.

Description via Goodreads

Today I’m excited to share my first buddy read! I am so grateful to Dani from Perspective of a Writer for inviting this small blogger to participate in her buddy read series. Cinnamon and Gunpowder had been on my TBR for a long time, so I was happy to read and discuss it with another blogger. This post consists of questions about the book that Dani sent me. Be sure to check out the post on her blog, where she answers the questions that I sent her.

1) You mentioned that you’ve read other pirate stories previous to Cinnamon and Gunpowder. How did Eli Brown’s pirate tale compare? Were your expectations met?

The pirate story that my mind jumped to while reading Cinnamon and Gunpowder was Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller. That one is a young adult novel, so it’s quite different in terms of style and scope. However, both books have similar elements: Female pirate captain Alosa allows herself to be captured by her enemy; romance ensues. The main difference is that Alosa narrates her story, whereas we see Captain Mabbot through the eyes of captive cook Owen Wedgewood. For much of Cinnamon and Gunpowder, Mabbot felt a bit ‘manic pixie dream girl’ type to me (i.e., her primary purpose in the story is to enable Wedge to become his best self). That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Wedge’s story, but I might have enjoyed Cinnamon and Gunpowder more if it was narrated in alternating chapters by both Wedge and Mabbot.

2) There are three power hungry individuals in Cinnamon and Gunpowder… How did your opinions of Mad Hannah Mabbot, Alexandre Laroche, and Lord Ramsey shift throughout the novel? Who was the hero and who was the villain in your eyes?

Of these three characters, I found my shifting opinion of Laroche the most interesting because he was primarily a background character and could easily have been presented as a one dimensional. But as more of his background and experiences are revealed, my opinion shifted to one that was just a touch more sympathetic (but he shouldn’t have gotten involved with the people he chose to in the first place!). My opinions of Mabbot and Ramsey didn’t change much over the story, though Wedge’s view certainly did. I felt like Mabbot and Ramsey were pretty typical characters, easy to understand, for a reader with a modern perspective (this is something I’ll talk more about in my answer to #8). By the end, since the story is told entirely through Wedge’s eyes, I still considered Ramsey and Laroche the villains and Mabbot the hero.

3) We talked about Owen Wedgwood and how our first impressions of him changed as we got to know him. Was he a sympathetic character to you? Did you enjoy reading Cinnamon and Gunpowder from his POV?

I am a generally naive and trusting reader… I assume all narrators are good and honest and open-minded (like me, lol) until proven otherwise. So, I went into this book thinking Wedge would be a good guy. It took me a little while to clue in, “Hey, wait a sec, by today’s standards, he’s not that great”. His early protesting comments and treatment of Joshua especially proved that to me. I gradually came to realize the overall arc of the story was to show how Wedge learns and grows from his time on Mabbot’s ship. In the end, he became a decent guy, thankfully. I never felt much sympathy towards him, but once I realized the structure of the narrative, I enjoyed reading from his perspective – the perspective of one who has a lot of room for improvement and must broaden their worldview to do so.

“Oh, shut up, Wedge, i wasn’t talking about Joshua. I was talking about you. You’re the dog.” Mabbot was laughing out loud now. “You stubborn cur. But you learn. And this food, Wedge. Kidnapping you was the best decision I’ve made in years.”

Pg. 193

4) As a chef I found Wedge’s passion for cooking inspiring. He explains to Mabbot the 6 tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, astringent, and umami. What did you think about his interpretation of flavor? He crafts some truly gourmet meals for Mabbot! Did you have a favorite?

That passage in the book (where Wedge describes the tastes) was one of the parts that helped me warm up to him. Even though Wedge was in the tense early stages of being hostage on a pirate ship, the reader gains a glimpse into his passion when wine enables him to speak freely and honestly about his ideas on flavor. Plus it gives you a good sense of his upbringing haha.

“Sweet is the welcoming hand, the mother’s milk, the kiss, the warm bed. its color is the orange of dusk. Bitterness is the love behind a stern word, it is hard-earned fortitude. Its color is green. Astringency is a strong wind; it tightens and cleans, it invokes self-reliance. It is the blue of cold water.”

These ideas had been brewing within me for years, but I had never spoken them aloud to anyone. The wine was stronger than I was used to.

pg. 75

As for favourite meal, the pheasant meal prepared in Chapter 16 most appealed to me. The only birds I have eaten are chicken, turkey, and duck. I have always been curious about trying other fowl like quail, partridge, or, indeed, pheasant 😛 As Wedge presents the meal to Mabbot: “Quail eggs and basil shirred in ramekins with sun-dried tomato puttanesca, braised pheasant with dandelion greens and jus de l’ile over pan-fried banana, and a confetti of pickled hominy à la mer” (pg. 190). I don’t like any sort of fish or seafood, so I don’t suppose I would fare well as an ocean-sailing pirate!

5) Mabbot is a woman in a man’s world. Did you think her gender influenced her perspective and behavior? What do you think about how her gender influenced her relationships with Ramsey and the Brass Fox?

When I think of what influenced Mabbot’s behaviour the most, I think of her son and, in turn, her personal values. But of course her identity as a mother and therefore as a woman, I suppose, influence her feelings regarding her son. I have a hard time distinguishing between individual behaviour and gender-related behaviour. For example, to me, Mabbot’s commitment to fairness and justice influenced her behaviour and relationships. But did that commitment come about because of her gender, because of how others treated her as a woman? Maybe so!

6) As a pirate captain Mabbot’s crew were quite loyal. Especially Mr. Apples and Feng and Bai. What did you see as the basis of their loyalty? Which of the pirates did you appreciate the most? And whose POV would you have enjoyed reading from?

I think their loyalty stems from the commitment I described in my above answer. Mabbot respects and trusts each of these characters and treats them fairly. Mr. Apples, Feng, and Bai would not fare as well on a pirate ship with a different captain, I imagine. Of all the pirates portrayed, I felt Feng and Bai got the short end of the stick as predominantly silent characters. I would love to read Cinnamon and Gunpowder from their perspective.

7) Joshua becomes an influential person with Wedge, causing him to consider some of his bigotry. What role did his grief over his wife and son play in the changes Wedge makes for Joshua? Was the end more satisfying because of this relationship?

Joshua adds a great subplot to the story, bringing some different dimensions to the pirate story. I think Wedge’s grief prompted him to feel a sense of responsibility towards Joshua, though he initially misplaces ‘responsibility’. Mabbot, again, helps Wedge fully realize his relationship with Joshua. I will say their relationship at the end of the novel certainly helped relieve some of the grumpiness I felt over another (unsatisfactory) event of the ending…

8) Were you impressed by what was revealed about the opium trade in Cinnamon and Gunpowder? How about the difference between the piracy Mabbot practiced vs. the Brass Fox?

In my answers to question #2 and #3, I mentioned a bit about how a contemporary reader’s perspective contributes to their reading of this book. It seems clear to me that Brown has written a historical novel that is meant to be read and understood from such a standpoint (as opposed to being a purely historical and accurate representation of the times). I know that might seem like a silly statement to make, but there are a number of moments in the story where Wedge is positioned as the backwards ‘man of his times’ and Mabbot’s views are more in line with contemporary thinking. This comes across even in small moments, when Wedge’s wonder at soy sauce is funny to the reader because the ingredient is a common staple to us now.

SO. All this background is to say, I wasn’t too surprised or impressed by what was revealed, although it was important for Wedge to have his eyes opened. It did make for an exciting story, though, to have the contrast between Mabbot and the Brass Fox’s approaches to piracy.

9) Eli Brown’s writing style has a certain heaviness to it that took me a while to get used to reading. What did you think about the narrative? Would you seek out his writing again after reading Cinnamon and Gunpowder?

I didn’t mind the style, even though Wedge writes with a particular narrative voice. I’m not sure I would want to read another book in this style – it would have to have an intriguing plot for me to give it a go. Because of the unique premise of this book, I was curious to see what else Brown has written. However, he hasn’t published a novel since and his debut does not appeal to me.

Thanks again to Dani for taking the time to read and discuss this novel with me! (Don’t forget to check out her Q&A). Do you have a favourite pirate story?