The White Blackbird

"The White Blackbird" by Robert Aitken is a story set in the early 1900s. The story begins when a woman named Sallie is in a dangerous situation on a worn ship called the "Olive Branch". Sallie is dealing with a man named Jasper Slyne that is trying to force her into marriage plus a possible revolt by the ship's crew. She is a very brave person but at the start of the story Sallie confronts Jasper after he makes it clear he thinks she will marry him, even though she is fighting against it. She then finds out the crew might rebel. With tension building after an alarm, she tries to notify Captain Dove of all the happenings. Sallie must show great levels of fortitude amidst life-threatening situations and tricky relationships. This is the start of a grand tale of risk with the ship and a crew with divided allegiances.