Description

The legend of Teach's Light has been handed down by the people of Stumpy Point village in coastal North Carolina for nearly three centuries. None can say when the mysterious light that hovers above Little Dismal Swamp will next appear, but it is said to guard a store of treasure buried long ago by Edward Teach (c. 1680-1718), better known as the infamous pirate Blackbeard.

One summer evening, teenagers Corky Calhoun and Toby Davis row into the swamp, drawn by the mystery of Teach's Light. But their adventure soon takes a curious turn. Thrown back in time by a sudden explosion, Corky and Toby find themselves floating safely above seventeenth-century England, as Blackbeard's life unfolds below. They watch as the orphaned Edward Teach decides to stow away across the Atlantic, begins his career as the fearsome Blackbeard, stages terrible raids from the Caribbean to North Carolina aboard his ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, and, finally, is beheaded in a battle with the British Crown's ships. An inventive blend of history and science fiction, Teach's Light brings Blackbeard's story vividly to life.

Praise for Teach's Light

"Using the known facts of Blackbeard's life, Wechter paints a vivid picture of piracy and adventure....Young readers who thought they had no interest in history will find themselves entranced."
—Durham Morning Herald Sun

Extended Copyright Information

Copyright 1974 by Marcia Wechter Kass. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.

Previously published by The University of North Carolina Press.

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher.

Cover illustration by Ed Lindlof.

About the Author

The late Nell Wise Wechter, an Outer Banks native, was a widely admired author, storyteller, historian, and journalist. As a schoolteacher near Cape Hatteras during World War II, she could look out her classroom window to see ships being sunk by the Germans. Her story of Taffy was inspired by these real events and the courage of the people who lived through them. Her other books include Swamp Girl, Betsy Dowdy's Ride, and Teach's Light.

Learn more about this author.

Opening Lines (Experimental)

And time future contained in time past.
THE LEGEND of Teach’s Light has been handed down by the natives of Stumpy Point village in Dare County, North Carolina, for three centuries.
Across the Bay—an arm of Pamlico Sound—lies Little Dismal Swamp. It is over this swamp that the light appears. ...

Copyright

Copyright 1974 Marcia Wechter Kass.

All Rights Reserved.