Actually, I found this book quite randomly among my other books — it was from my father’s bookshelf – I guess. He must have bought it at least 30 years ago, so I chose it as my reading for this week. And it turned out to be a very interesting book — even though I’m clearly over the age for a children’s adventure novel :”> Haha.

The book’s name is Arabella, the Pirate’s Daughter by Aino Pervik, an Estonian writer. What amazed me most is that I’ve always wanted to visit Estonia but haven’t had a chance yet — and how rare is it to find an English book by an Estonian writer in Vietnam?

Arabella is a 9-year-old girl and the daughter of a feared pirate captain named Daniel Trigger, who commands a ruthless crew aboard his pirate ship. Though pirates live a dangerous life filled with greed, violence, and a hunger for treasure, Arabella loves her father deeply. We also see the warmth and transformation in her father later in the story — especially after a wandering philosopher named Hassan is brought aboard.

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Arabella is kind, but also very confident and straightforward. I can see her leadership qualities, which she probably inherits from her father.

I really wish I had a little bit of her courage.

The book talks about her curiosity, loneliness, fatherhood, and the love of a daughter for her father. But more than that, it’s about goodness and kindness appearing in the most cruel place in the world — and in the most cruel man, there is still love.

I think that’s why I liked the book so much. I couldn’t stop turning the pages — not because it’s fast or dramatic, but because it’s delivering a life message through a fascinating story and has a subtle sense of humor.

There are moments when readers feel worried because of the fights and dangers around the characters. But then suddenly, there are quiet moments — deep conversations about life that make you pause and think. How can a little girl have such reflective dialogues with her wandering friend, Hassan? Their conversations about goodness and the meaning of life stay with you.

“What is the most important thing to you?” — Hassan asks.

I think I should ask myself this question more often, especially when I’m in a dilemma.

My answer would be: my son — just as Arabella is the most important person to her father, Daniel, and Daniel is the most important to Arabella.

And if we have a choice — “do we want our children to experience what we experienced?” — Hassan asks.

“Were you afraid when you were born into this world?” — Hassan asks.

I think the answer is no. We start building fear as we grow up. I don’t know whether it’s good or bad to have fear, but I do know that we lose many small joys because of it.

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Even though Daniel is cruel and not a good person, he is a good captain and leader who can steer the ship through tough times. But the head and the hands are not enough — the moment he realizes that he also has a heart, everything begins to change.

So this book feels like a mixture of everything. I don’t normally read much fiction, but this one is truly captivating — you really can’t stop. It’s not just a simple story about kindness, adventure, a little girl, fatherhood, leadership, or friendship. It’s a book about life philosophy.

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Note:
Because the book is old and missing the last few pages, I asked for help from an Estonian community on social media.

Luckily, I received help and was able to finish the story — ending with the destruction of evil through self-destruction, symbolized by the Flying Duck.

Here is the link the shared to help me with last losing pages, in case you’d also like to read the book: Arabella, the pirate’s daughter | Digar Viewer

Thank you to the community for the help, and thank you for reading.