This book follows the life of Mary Read, a female pirate.
Shortly before she was born in 1685, Mary’s mother lost a son, Mark, and she decides to raise Mary as Mark to collect his inheritence money. When she’s in her teens, she goes into service, working as a footman for a French widow. When war (the War of the Spanish Succession) is declared in 1701, Mary joins the navy as Mark. Afterwards, she signs up with the army and falls in love with one of her fellow soldiers, Dan, and decides to reveal she’s a woman. Dan and Mary marry and start to run an inn Dan inherited in the lowlands.
After Dan’s death, Mary returns to sea and travels to the Caribbean where she meets Anne Bonny. Anne is fifteen years her junior, and married to a pirate but she’s a party girl avant la lettre. When Mary becomes a pirate, Anne starts a relationship with the captain. Next to that, Anne and Mary have a sexual relationship as well. The two women are not exclusive, but it’s clear that Mary has deep feelings for Anne.
Oh this book! I know I hadn’t read it before but the first chapter seemed really familiar and I’m trying to remember where I would have read it. I really enjoyed this, the adventure, and Mary’s journey from being Mark to being herself – she was always a girl but it was hidden away.
The book is based on a true story, both Mary Read and Anne Bonny existed and were pirates.
Read for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 38: An Adventure Story
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
