Born of the Sea by Kate Castle is a pirate romance novella set in the 18th century. It is a fictional tale based on the real life, infamous pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
From birth, Anne Cormac never fit into any prescribed societal role. The illegitimate child of a lawyer, she was forced to dress as a boy for most of her childhood and work for her father. However, when she reached an age where her body betrayed her true identity, the secret became impossible to keep. The discovery forced her father to leave his family and set sail for the colonies with Anne and her biological mother. That voyage is when she first fell in love with the sea.
Still unsatisfied with life and its expectations, and irresistibly drawn to the sea, Anne began frequenting seedy taverns, carousing, fighting, and ultimately meeting and marrying a sailor named James Bonny. The two set sail for New Providence where James found respectable employment and where Anne finally felt at home with the lawless denizens of the island. It was here she met Captain Jack Rackham (Calico Jack) and headed to the sea once more, as a pirate.
And what a pirate she was. The crew plundered their way across the Caribbean mostly due to Anne’s ingenuity. While taking a ship off Tortuga island, a brave and dashing sailor drew Anne’s interest. Mark Read, is unlike anyone she has ever met and they quickly fall for one another. But Mark has a secret. Mark is actually Mary Read, a fact that does not quell Anne’s feelings for her. But the life of a pirate is dangerous, and with a husband determined to recapture her, and the law ever at their heels, will their strength and love be enough to keep them safe?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I loved the fictional twist to two unconventional historical characters. Anne is a rebel of her time, refusing to be tamed by the patriarchy. Mary is courageous and dashing, a somewhat more refined rebel, but a rebel nonetheless. They are both fierce and interesting women, and their relationship is beautiful.
The writing is superb. It is descriptive, to the point I swear I smelled and tasted the salty water of the sea. Action, humour and emotional turmoils abound which made me flip the pages faster than a sailor bailing out a sinking ship.
Cons And Heads Up
Sadly, there is not a happily ever after for Anne and Mary, so be prepared for that emotional whallop. Apart from that all I can say is that I would read the hell out more of their story, so I would love to have seen more about their adventures together.
The Conclusion
Like Anne Bonny, this novella packs a lot of punch for its size. It is a fast read, easily devoured in one sitting, but it will linger much longer in your mind and heart. So if you long for adventure, yearn for love, and can withstand heartbreak, pick this novella up and be swept away with swashbuckling adventure and love.
Excerpt from Born of the Sea by Kate Castle
That first day of our voyage to the colonies sticks clear and sharp in my memory, like the pleasure pain prick of a hatpin. It is a memory almost as sharp as the first time I saw Mary.
Have you ever crawled up the bowsprit, at the very foremost point of a schooner? The ocean is all you can see. All you can smell and hear. A five-foot skiing backwards and the topsail and fore rigging will surround you. But sit up at the tip of the bowsprit and there is nothing but unsullied water all around.
I remember straddling it on that day, my boots crossed tight underneath at the ankles, watching two dozen gulls dip and swoop above my head, my eyes squinting in the afternoon sun. Looking out over the vast ocean, the wind whipping at my curls, I felt like a bird myself. I felt free. I felt like home.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781916903111
Publisher: Dark Horse Publishing
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