Discover one of the most feared and deadliest female pirates of the 18th century - Anne Bonny. Born out of wedlock, travels from Ireland to the new lands of colonial America and the golden age of pirates. Tales of adventure, brutality, and survival. A must-read!
Wayward Voyage - Book Review
When I heard about Wayward Voyage written by Anna M. Holmes I couldn't wait to read it! As a past seafarer, that has travelled to the Bahamas, Caribbean and hearing the epic tales of pirates, I was interested and curious. Having never heard of Anne Bonny, I was intrigued to learn more.
About Wayward Voyage
Anne is a headstrong young girl growing up in the frontier colony of Carolina in the early eighteenth century. With the death of her mother, and others she holds dear, Anne discovers that life is uncertain, so best live it to the full. She rejects the confines of conventional society and runs away to sea, finding herself in the Bahamas, which has become a nest for pirates plaguing the West Indies.
Increasingly dissatisfied with her life, Anne meets charismatic former pirate, John 'Calico Jack' Rackham, and persuades him to take up pirating again, and she won't be left on shore. Wayward Voyage follows Anne from child to young adult. Hers is a coming-of-age story, more brutal than many. Her narrative is interwoven with others: Willam Cormac, her father, seeking a new life in Carolina; mariners turned pirates, Calico Jack and Mary Read, seeking to live beyond the reaches of the law; Woodes Rogers, Governor in The Bahamas, seeking to create order and uphold the values of Empire.
The Golden Age of Piracy is a period when frontiers were being explored and boundaries pushed. Wayward Voyage creates a vivid and gritty picture of colonial life in the Americas and at sea.
About The Author
Anna M Holmes is originally from New Zealand and lives in South-West London with her partner. She holds a BA in English, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and an MA in Dance Studies. She began writing fifteen years ago, has shown work at the Marbella International Film Festival and was joint-winner of Green Stories screenplay competition in 2020. Wayward Voyage is her debut novel.
Anna says, "Anne Bonny and Mary Read displayed 'Girl Power' before the term was invented. At a time when women's lives were so prescribed it is astonishing that Anne, along with Mary, ended up in Jack Rackham's pirate gang. Their resolve, cross-dressing, and fearlessness have fascinated me for a long time.
I threw myself into research delving into official documents at the National Archives; sailed on a tall ship as voyage crew to experience going aloft and working ropes; travelled to South Carolina to visit plantations and museums and imagine myself in Anne's footsteps. I love world-building and working on Wayward Voyage has given me ample opportunity to do this."
Wayward Voyage is available now via Amazon and other good book retailers.
ISBN: 9781913551728 Price £9.99
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wayward Voyage, reading it from cover to cover, not wanting to put it down. It's very descriptive, drawing you into passionate, brutal and heroic scenes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.