Wild Rover No More by L.A. Meyer Book Review

Wild Rover No More by L.A. Meyer
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 4, 2014

On August 3, 2014 I opened up my Facebook to find this note from the author page of L.A. Meyer:

Ahoy there, mates,

A bit of sad news, I’m afraid… Sorry- can’t be helped. My stalwart companion, L.A. Meyer, ever the cheeky bastard, has concluded that it is high time we pull anchor and set sail for the Great Beyond. Thick as thieves we are, so as always, I shall accompany him on this voyage. Never a dull moment, eh?

Chin up, you, for we have left many a tale in our wake, some virtuous, others a bit tawdry, but ain’t that the way of life? In fact, WILD ROVER NO MORE awaits you at the beginning of September. I should ever so much love to tarry, but the bosun’s at his whistle again… We must be off.

Think of us from time to time, won’t you? And snap a quick salute when next you pass the ocean blue. We are out there somewhere- you can count on it.
Cheers,
Jacky

I can tell you now that there were some definite tears shed, not only for an author I loved, but for the way in which he chose to say goodbye. 

This is L.A. Meyer's final book. I don't know if he held on in order to complete this last book or what, but I am so grateful that he managed to finish. That he left this legacy behind. Jacky Faber has gone on her last adventure and what wonderful adventures they are too. Jacky has traveled the world, she speaks many languages, she has garnered a plethora of friends and enemies. Of course, some of that is coming back to bite her on her little Cagney ass, but she takes it in the way she has always done. Head up, teeth apart, chin set.

I did wish there had been a bit more of Jacky as a governess and a lot less of her time at the circus, which was rather a stupid place to be when trying to hide out, but I was satisfied with the final book in this twelve book series. The ending was a bit of a tear jerker, but in typical Jacky fashion, it was fun and perfect. Honestly, I am going to miss Jacky. And because there will be no more books and simply because I can, here is what I imagine for Jacky's future:

Jacky, despite her protestations will have three children. Two boys and a girl. I can see her on her schooner, bright red wig on her head as the two boys scramble around the mast. They are like their mother, adventurous and strong-willed. She has already had to deal with one of them running away. The girl is like Jaimy, which sort of bothers Jacky, but then she loves Jaimy and it was bound to happen. There are already plans of sending the youngest to Mrs. Pim's School for Girls. Unlike Jacky, her daughter will absolutely love it there. As Jacky grows older, she continues to sail, but she is a little less flirtatious, a little less adventurous, more eager to visit friends than make new enemies. Somewhere in there though, there is the occasional adventure involving old sea wrecks and treasure and visits to New Orleans. She continues to buy ships for her trading company and by the time she is an old woman, has quite a trade going on. Jacky is generous with her money and makes sure that those she knows and love are taken care of. When they are very old, Jacky finally agrees to move to the English countryside with Jaimy, but she desperately misses her home and so, old and frail they make one final trip across the Atlantic. As she arrives in Boston her sons and daughter and many many grandchildren are there to greet her. Jacky looks out at the ocean knowing that this last voyage was truly her final adventure and somehow she doesn't mind so much.