Synopsis: “Caribbean, 1720. Two extraordinary women are on the run – from their pasts, from the British Navy and the threat of execution, and from the destiny that fate has written for them. Plantation owner’s daughter, runaway wife, pirate – Anne Bonny has forged her own story in a man’s world. But when she is involved in the capture of a British merchant ship, she is amazed to find another woman amongst the crew, with a history as unconventional as her own. Dressed as a boy from childhood, Mary Read has been a soldier, a sailor, a widow – but never a woman in charge of her own destiny. As their exhilarating, tumultuous exploits find fame, the ballad of Bonny and Read is sung from shore to shore – but when you swim against the tide of history, freedom is a dangerous thing…”

My Review

This was a brilliant historical fiction about two women, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who became infamous pirates in the 1700s. I think it was first put on my radar by a fantastic review by Jo @ Jo’s Book Blog.

It was told from both their perspectives from before, during, and after their swashbuckling adventures. Anne Bonny was born into privilege in North Carolina when the British were still in charge, and Mary Read was born into poverty in Plymouth in England. They both had very dysfunctional childhoods. Anne was incredibly bored as a rich girl, and poor Mary was made to live as a boy, in order for her mother to claim her dead brother’s inheritance! No wonder they both sought out unconventional lives.

Anne joined a pirate ship before Mary, who was first taking part in the Napoleonic wars in the army and then the Navy, meeting each other eventually on a ship in the Caribbean.

I must admit I preferred Mary to Anne, she wasn’t as reckless as Anne, was very skilled at her job and didn’t always want to be a pirate. And who can blame her it’s a horrible life, with horrible people, and not a long life expectancy either.

It was quite a sad story at times, with both women at the whim of men, although Mary Read was much better at mostly controlling what was going on in her life.

Highly recommended if you enjoy historical fiction set in the 1700s.

Book 6 of 20 Books of Summer 2026