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PIRATE SPIRIT: THE ADVENTURES OF ANNE BONNEY
Set in Ireland, the Carolinas, and the pirate-infested Caribbean waters of the 1700s, and inspired by actual historical accounts, this is the tale of Anne Bonney, the unlikely pirate who disguised herself as a man and fought side-by-side with a notorious band of rogues plundering ships around the Spanish Main.Pirate Spirit follows Bonney from her beginnings as an illegitimate child, to her volatile coming-of-age as a misbegotten aristocrat, rebellious daughter, and hot-tempered teen. But it is her transformation to a cutthroat pirate who pined for seafaring adventure, enduring love, and the lasting bonds of friendship that showcases Bonney's true spirit. Author Jeffery S. Williams provides insight into Bonney's relationships with the people closest to her-her mother and father, her guardian angel Edward, her friend Mary, and her husband James-and the vital roles each played in shaping her life.Rife with intrigue, poignancy, and humor, Pirate Spirit is a vivid portrayal of a young woman's odyssey from youth to adulthood as she seeks purpose and grace.
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 7, 2022
Pirate Spirit suffers from Jeffrey Williams’ obvious love of literature and religion, which he infuses into his ideal pirate creations. Williams' pirates roam the high seas while reciting verses from Dante, Milton, and John Donne. And for good measure, moral points are made throughout the book with quotes from the Bible.
During my reading of Pirate Spirit, I found myself researching the life of Anne Bonney. My conclusion is that virtually nothing is known about her life, and much of what is known has likely been sensationalized or made up to enhance her mystique. In fact, it is likely that the only real information that exists on Bonney are contemporaneous reports from her trial for piracy in 1720. Given this information, Williams' book could have taken virtually any direction in fictionalizing her life.
Williams’ chosen path for Bonney was one that emphasized a continuing conflict between a middle class teenage girl of a religious and moral upbringing, and the life of a pirate with very little regard for the life and property of others. However, one of the few factual things we know about Bonney was that this conflict did not exists during her marauding days as a pirate:
In summary, it is a bit of a stretch to call Pirate Spirit a work of historical fiction. In my mind, historical fiction should check into the facts that are relevant to the story while creating a world around those facts that is as real as possible. The end result should be plausible, if not believable. As it sits, Pirate Spirit is a fantasy of Anne Bonney’s life that has only the most tenuous of places on the shelf of historical fiction novels.
During my reading of Pirate Spirit, I found myself researching the life of Anne Bonney. My conclusion is that virtually nothing is known about her life, and much of what is known has likely been sensationalized or made up to enhance her mystique. In fact, it is likely that the only real information that exists on Bonney are contemporaneous reports from her trial for piracy in 1720. Given this information, Williams' book could have taken virtually any direction in fictionalizing her life.
Williams’ chosen path for Bonney was one that emphasized a continuing conflict between a middle class teenage girl of a religious and moral upbringing, and the life of a pirate with very little regard for the life and property of others. However, one of the few factual things we know about Bonney was that this conflict did not exists during her marauding days as a pirate:
“Captured sailors reported that after their vessels were taken by the pirates, it was the two women—Bonny and Mary Read, the latter who had joined the crew by then—who urged their crewmates on to greater acts of bloodshed and violence. Some of these sailors testified against her at her trial.” - Christopher Minster, Ph.D., Professor of Latin American literature and history, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador
In summary, it is a bit of a stretch to call Pirate Spirit a work of historical fiction. In my mind, historical fiction should check into the facts that are relevant to the story while creating a world around those facts that is as real as possible. The end result should be plausible, if not believable. As it sits, Pirate Spirit is a fantasy of Anne Bonney’s life that has only the most tenuous of places on the shelf of historical fiction novels.
July 10, 2008
Pirate Spirit: The Adventures of Anne Bonney rating: 5 of 5 stars. My Long Time Friend Jeff, Gave me a copy of the original version. I stayed up for hours to read this book. Each chapter was filled with adventure. this book made me desire to find that spirit to be someone that can take a chance. to see more of the world. Jeff did an amazing job creating many unforgettable scenes with vivid imagery. It was a novel that included What life was like in that era. Life was brutal. Work was harder... if you could find it and survive. Choices were few. To love or be lonely, to work or starve, and to live or to die. Anne Bonney "LIVED"
October 2, 2009
Amazing story!!! I do not know if it is all true or not but if it is, the ending is a shocker. I was pleased as it is mighty hard to be surprised now days. This is about a very very fiesty girl. I do not agree with all the choices she made or some of the things her comrades did, but if you get past that, it is truly an amazing, edge of your seat story. My only complaint is that it was too short. I wanted to hear more. I sincerely hope there is a sequel to this. Also, I would like to add that the author did a terrific job writing from a female viewpoint. I am greatly impressed. Please write a sequel and tell us the rest!
July 8, 2017
Who knew there were women pirates in the 1700's in the Caribbean. Fun historical fiction, writing a touch flat.
May 13, 2020
Feels very accurate and true to Anne Bonney, but there were more romantic parts than I cared for.
October 16, 2009
"Pirate Spirit The Adventures of Anne Bonney" by Jeffery S. Williams is a GREAT read. Lest you think the whole book is cover to cover with "kid type" pirate jargon, it's definitely NOT THAT! This book is an adult novel and covers what is known about the real life of Anne Bonney from about age 7 to 21 and Williams weaves all of this into an awesome read whether you are male or female!
Much is known about the life of Anne Bonney from the Golden Age of piracy...and much is still a mystery. Williams includes romance, true friendship, adventure, piracy (Eg. Anne was with Jack Rackham for a while when she entered piracy at the age of 19....This was also the time in history of Blackbeard.), and everything else you'd expect from a well-written story.
The novel is written from Anne's point of view and I swear that you'll never think that a man is trying to "sound like" a girl/woman. Williams captures her "voice" beautifully! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be in suspense....at the end I felt like I was saying "Good-bye" to good friends. I didn't want the book to end!>
I looked up to see if this author has written anything else and he has: "Who's To Blame?". I'm going to check this one out! K.G.
Much is known about the life of Anne Bonney from the Golden Age of piracy...and much is still a mystery. Williams includes romance, true friendship, adventure, piracy (Eg. Anne was with Jack Rackham for a while when she entered piracy at the age of 19....This was also the time in history of Blackbeard.), and everything else you'd expect from a well-written story.
The novel is written from Anne's point of view and I swear that you'll never think that a man is trying to "sound like" a girl/woman. Williams captures her "voice" beautifully! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be in suspense....at the end I felt like I was saying "Good-bye" to good friends. I didn't want the book to end!>
I looked up to see if this author has written anything else and he has: "Who's To Blame?". I'm going to check this one out! K.G.
August 21, 2011
I definitely enjoyed the swashbuckling and adventure in the story, but I felt like the author watched Pirates of the Caribbean and then decided he wanted to write a novel about Anne Bonney...I wanted more historical fact and less bodice-ripping. It was entertaining though...I just like my historical fiction with a little more history.
March 14, 2011
Nice Anne Bonny/Mary Read fiction
August 30, 2012
Thrilling, exciting, and a wonderful tale of the greatest female pirate. I recommend this to everyone!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews