The stunning new feminist retelling of the real-life female pirates of the Caribbean

One of The Times' Best Historical Fiction Novels of August

''This swashbuckling debut is great fun''

THE TIMES

''Wonderfully drawn characters and a terrific pace''

JESS KIDD, bestselling author of THE NIGHT SHIP

''A poignant depiction of true female friendship, and a really good adventure story, beautifully told''

FRANCES QUINN, author of THE SMALLEST MAN

''A cracking read. . . Fascinating, complex characters and a real page-turner!''

LIZ HYDER, author of THE GIFTS

''Bonny and Read has it all. Adventure, atmosphere, sizzling suspense and unforgettable characters. Such a brilliant debut!''

SD SYKES, author of THE GOOD DEATH

''A deftly told tale of the complexities of friendship, female identity & freedom, featuring two remarkable women determined to define their own destinies . . . the pages turn themselves''

ANITA FRANK, author of THE LOST ONES

''What a debut! A fabulous, dangerous sea-shanty of a story''

KATIE MUNNIK, author of THE AERIALISTS

''A wonderful story, so beautifully told and absolutely gripping to the very end''

EMMA CARROLL

''Walker''s book is a warm and wonderful tribute to these timeless women, with intriguing detail of the period and the pirate life.''

LISA REDMOND, Historical Novel Society

***

Rebels. Pirates. Women.

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...

An exuberant reimagining of the extraordinary story of Bonny & Read - trailblazing, boundary-defying, swashbuckling heroines whose story deserves to be known. Perfect for fans of Ariadne, The Mercies and The Familiars.