The Water-Witch

Set in 17th-century New York and the surrounding sea, the novel depicts the abduction of a woman, Alida de Barbérie, by the pirate captain of the brigantine Water-Witch, and the subsequent pursuit of that elusive ship by her suitor, Captain Ludlow.

[1][2] Cooper wrote the novel while on an extended tour of Europe, during his stay in the villa Palazzu detta del Tasso near Naples.

[1] Cooper tried to print the novel while he was in Italy in 1829 but Papal censors forbade its publication there.

[1] He was eventually able to print the novel in Dresden before also sending copies to his publishers in the US and England.

[1] Critic Allan Axelrad describes the novel as heavily influenced by the Italian context of its writing, noting that it even compares the landscapes of New York with that of Italy.