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.