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Seaborne
1703, Kinsale, County Cork. Anne Coleman is the illegitimate child of a local lawyer and his maid; disguised as 'Anthony' to protect reputations, the mask suits Anne just fine. But, fixated on boats and the sea, she struggles to fit in, and her devoted mother fears for her fiercely independent and impulsive daughter.
When their secrets are exposed, the family emigrates to the new colony of Carolina, but this fresh start will bring devastating loss and stifling responsibilities. Lonely and transgressive, Anne finds comfort only with Bedelia, servant and intimate friend. But her craving for the sea-wandering life and a misjudged marriage to young Gabriel Bonny will compel Anne to take to the sea again, this time around the islands of the Caribbean, famous for plunder and piracy.
Adventure, passion and freedom await, but so do violence and disappointment. And, as she tries to stay true to herself, her hopes and her few precious friendships, Anne Bonny must also face her own privilege and the sacrifices required for enduring love.
Seaborne is the thrilling and sensuous portrait of a young woman out of step with her time and place, but never her heart.
When their secrets are exposed, the family emigrates to the new colony of Carolina, but this fresh start will bring devastating loss and stifling responsibilities. Lonely and transgressive, Anne finds comfort only with Bedelia, servant and intimate friend. But her craving for the sea-wandering life and a misjudged marriage to young Gabriel Bonny will compel Anne to take to the sea again, this time around the islands of the Caribbean, famous for plunder and piracy.
Adventure, passion and freedom await, but so do violence and disappointment. And, as she tries to stay true to herself, her hopes and her few precious friendships, Anne Bonny must also face her own privilege and the sacrifices required for enduring love.
Seaborne is the thrilling and sensuous portrait of a young woman out of step with her time and place, but never her heart.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2024
24 people are currently reading
455 people want to read
About the author
Nuala O'Connor
21 books100 followersNuala O’Connor lives in Co. Galway, Ireland. In 2019 she won the James Joyce Quarterly competition to write the missing story from Dubliners, ‘Ulysses’. Her fourth novel, Becoming Belle, was published to critical acclaim in the US, Ireland and the UK. Her most recent novel Nora is about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce. Nuala is editor at flash e-zine Splonk.
She also writes as Nuala Ní Chonchúir.
She also writes as Nuala Ní Chonchúir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 1, 2024
Seaborne is an adventure story about a young girl born in Kinsale, Cork to a maid, who, in order to keep her with her, styles her as a boy growing up, so she can stay in her father's house (a local lawyer) and be apprenticed to him. So Anne is Anthony in her childhood and loves nothing more than going out on the boat with her father, being at sea.
Eventually, in order that her parents can be together, the man abandons his wife and family, and travels with Anne and her mother to the Carolina's where he will run a plantation. But Anne having had significant freedom as a boy is none too pleased by the restrictions and rules that presenting as a girl puts upon her.
She finds solace with her friend and servant Bedelia and finds a way to have the occasional sea journey thanks to a young man, Gabriel Bonny. Seeing him as a way to escape her destiny and to a life at or near the sea, she elopes with him, taking Bedelia with her.
In the town where they settle Anne discovers that her husband isn't so keen to let her pursue her dream to be at sea, and so she finds someone who will. Captain Calico Jack will allow her to follow him and his crew into dangerous territory and a life she had never imagined but finds passion and excitement in.
Set in the 1700's, Anne Bonny is a real character, though much about her is legendary and not easily verifiable. Nuala O'Connor has familiarised herself with facts and read the fictions and re-imagined a version of a deeply unconventional life for Anny Bonny, told in a lilting, of its era prose.
It is narrated in a way that allows the reader to easily visualise the life and surroundings she inhabits and the high sea adventures she participates in, even if they are shortlived.
Eventually, in order that her parents can be together, the man abandons his wife and family, and travels with Anne and her mother to the Carolina's where he will run a plantation. But Anne having had significant freedom as a boy is none too pleased by the restrictions and rules that presenting as a girl puts upon her.
She finds solace with her friend and servant Bedelia and finds a way to have the occasional sea journey thanks to a young man, Gabriel Bonny. Seeing him as a way to escape her destiny and to a life at or near the sea, she elopes with him, taking Bedelia with her.
In the town where they settle Anne discovers that her husband isn't so keen to let her pursue her dream to be at sea, and so she finds someone who will. Captain Calico Jack will allow her to follow him and his crew into dangerous territory and a life she had never imagined but finds passion and excitement in.
Set in the 1700's, Anne Bonny is a real character, though much about her is legendary and not easily verifiable. Nuala O'Connor has familiarised herself with facts and read the fictions and re-imagined a version of a deeply unconventional life for Anny Bonny, told in a lilting, of its era prose.
It is narrated in a way that allows the reader to easily visualise the life and surroundings she inhabits and the high sea adventures she participates in, even if they are shortlived.
September 29, 2024
An enjoyable tale, which unfortunately felt rushed throughout and the epilogue could have been first to give the reader an understanding of the true story element.
April 13, 2024
In the legends of pirates, there are few female figures to capture the imagination like the fiery Pirate Queen, Anne Bonny. In Seaborne, Nuala O’Connor weaves a rich narrative, creating a compelling version of Anne’s life and bringing the readers on a high-seas adventure across the Atlantic”
Much of Anne’s life has been fictionalised as not much is known about it apart from her trial for piracy along me fellow female crewmate Mary Read in 1721 but O’Connor masterfully narrates a story which brings us from Kinsale, Co, Cork, through to the Carolinas, then the pirate-infested Caribbean and finally to Spanish Towne Jamaica. Born out of wedlock to Willard Coleman and his servant Mag, Anne’s affinity for the sea was as inherent as her fiery spirit.. The family moved to the Carolinas to start a new life, where her father managed a plantation. Anne missed the Atlantic, and it was only her close friendship with the slave girl Bedelia that made life at Hasty Point Plantation bearable. Anne was never going to live the life expected of her and instead manages to find a way back to a seafaring life leading to pirate adventures in the Caribbean by eloping with Gabriel Bonny
O’Connor, fills the blanks of historical records by creating such a memorable character in Anne. I was rooting for Anne and the harsh times that she was born into, where men ruled the world and women had to live by their rules. I loved how Anne’s indomitable spirit meant she was never going to settle for the domestic role or by the rules prescribed to her as a woman. If things weren’t going the way she wanted, Anne would forge her own path and go to battle, risking her life and that of those she loved.
This book was just spectacular – the writing and pacing is executed to perfection – it pulls you right into the time and place and you can envisage yourself on-board Calico Jack’s sloop or drinking rum in the bars of colonial Nassau. You learn about a woman who rewrote the rulebook to go down in history as a ferocious pirate!
It’s so highly paced and suspenseful, leaving me with an ending that I was really not expecting. If you were a fan of Nora, then you’ve an absolute treat in store for you!
Huge thanks to Nuala O’Connor and Des @newislandbooks for giving me a proof copy in return for an honest review. Seaborne is published on April 19th.
Much of Anne’s life has been fictionalised as not much is known about it apart from her trial for piracy along me fellow female crewmate Mary Read in 1721 but O’Connor masterfully narrates a story which brings us from Kinsale, Co, Cork, through to the Carolinas, then the pirate-infested Caribbean and finally to Spanish Towne Jamaica. Born out of wedlock to Willard Coleman and his servant Mag, Anne’s affinity for the sea was as inherent as her fiery spirit.. The family moved to the Carolinas to start a new life, where her father managed a plantation. Anne missed the Atlantic, and it was only her close friendship with the slave girl Bedelia that made life at Hasty Point Plantation bearable. Anne was never going to live the life expected of her and instead manages to find a way back to a seafaring life leading to pirate adventures in the Caribbean by eloping with Gabriel Bonny
O’Connor, fills the blanks of historical records by creating such a memorable character in Anne. I was rooting for Anne and the harsh times that she was born into, where men ruled the world and women had to live by their rules. I loved how Anne’s indomitable spirit meant she was never going to settle for the domestic role or by the rules prescribed to her as a woman. If things weren’t going the way she wanted, Anne would forge her own path and go to battle, risking her life and that of those she loved.
This book was just spectacular – the writing and pacing is executed to perfection – it pulls you right into the time and place and you can envisage yourself on-board Calico Jack’s sloop or drinking rum in the bars of colonial Nassau. You learn about a woman who rewrote the rulebook to go down in history as a ferocious pirate!
It’s so highly paced and suspenseful, leaving me with an ending that I was really not expecting. If you were a fan of Nora, then you’ve an absolute treat in store for you!
Huge thanks to Nuala O’Connor and Des @newislandbooks for giving me a proof copy in return for an honest review. Seaborne is published on April 19th.
August 14, 2024
After being really fascinated by the historical character of Anne Bonny, I was really excited to start this book and had such great hopes and expectations for it, but I was so disappointed… The Anne Bonny in Seabourne was nothing like the Anne Bonny I imagined, and nothing like the Anne Bonny imagined in the recent Netflix documentary on the 18th century’s pirates of the Caribbean. Her voice in this book came across as… immature and spoiled and scattered and annoying. It’s as if her character was stuck in the 6-year-old boy personality she has in the opening chapters and just never grew out of it for the entirety of the whole story. There was no strength, no fierceness, no fearless sailing against the winds: just a lot of privileged self-entitlement. I also found the dialogues flat and uninspired, the structure of the story too chopped up and roughly stitched. I really wanted to love this, but the it really lacked substantial flavour for me.
May 14, 2025
What a disappointment. If you want to read a novel about pirates, skip this one. There is almost no pirate action, except that Anne Bonny, the protagonist, and her pirate "husband" were captured and tried for piracy. Anne Bonny existed but nothing is known about her except she was tried as a pirate. This writer decided to make her Irish, and bisexual. There is no sense of place. She describes a seaport full of sailors, some who are pirates, as a place full of taverns and people, mostly men, hanging around.She is much more interested in writing about all the sex and partners, men and women, Anne has. One book group members described it as practically softt porn. I would describe it as a pile of "shite", to use a word this Irish writer is familiar with.
August 22, 2024
easy to get into as the story flows very well and it captured my attention despite the fact that i usually have trouble getting into historical novels, but o’connor does a fantastic job with anne bonny’s story!
March 14, 2025
Why yes, I am obsessed with pirates. This is an atmospheric and entertaining story narrated by the larger-than-life Anne Bonny, from her childhood in Ireland to her trial in Jamaica. I did wish it was a bit longer, if only to flesh out the rest of the crew and to show more swashbuckling adventures. But overall a recommended read, me hearties.
August 26, 2024
Memorable. On one level, a deeply personal portrait of a woman centuries ahead of her time (a woman pirate!), on the other, an engrossing sea tale where every buckle is swashed!
April 3, 2024
‘Up I go, breathing the sea, the sea breathing me, until I split waves and push myself on through the water, arm over arm, pressing forward, onward, free, unsinkable’
Seaborne by Nuala O’Connor publishes April 18th with New Island Books and is described as a ‘thrilling and sensuous portrait of a young woman out of step with her time and place, but never her heart.’
Having read the exquisite NORA by Nuala O’Connor, I knew that Seaborne was going to be another exceptional and extraordinary reading experience.
Anne Bonny is a character of mythical proportions with her roots in Kinsale, a beautiful coastal town in Co. Cork. In approaching her research about this historical figure, Nuala O’Connor was very much aware that much of what was written as fact could be disputed, due to inaccuracies and fabrications over the centuries, so she set about creating a work of fiction, a novel of pure escapism and adventure. But Nuala O’Connor has a unique style to her writing, and her ability to depict such atmospheric and immersive scenes made me want to believe that everything she wrote was real.
Elaine Feeney described Seaborne as ‘a rollicking triumph of passion, and a powerful portrayal of Irish pirate, Anne Bonny––a true original' and it truly is all that. Anne Bonny’s life was dramatic, packed full with adventure and dangerous exploits. She lived on the edge and a life of domesticity was never going to be her chosen path. Over three hundred years ago Anne Bonny, alongside Mary Read, were tried for piracy. Filtering through the historical accounts over the centuries, O’Connor approached her novel with a willingness to try something different. As she says herself she would ‘draw on some of the far-fetched, fun, fictional details laid out about her, things such as her cross-dressing, her alleged bisexuality and her fierce individuality’.
Anne Bonny came into the world as the result of an affair between a lawyer and his maid. Her father, Willard Coleman left his marriage creating a new life with Anne’s mother, Mag. Born Anne Dineen Coleman, she was dressed as a boy from an early age, offering a disguise against the wagging tongues. Trouble followed them until one grey dawn when they finally left Ireland. Setting sail for the Province of Carolina, they eventually landed at the Hasty Point Plantation, where her father was employed. The change in scenery was dramatic, with Anne missing the Atlantic and the sea air but she found solace through her friendship with Bedelia, an indentured servant on the plantation.
Anne was challenged by the role she was expected to play and eventually saw a route out through marriage to Gabriel Bonny, a local seafaring man. Initially she thought that together they could sail the high seas as a team but the reality soon became very apparent. Daring deeds and excitement were side-lined for the daily drudgery of keeping house, leaving Anne Bonny restless and frustrated. Anne Bonny was stubborn with qualities that didn’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but with her friend Bedelia, she could be true to herself and share her inner dreams and secrets.
When an opportunity arose for action on the high-seas, Anne Bonny embraced it with open arms. This was it. This was her moment to explore and to fully realise her ambition to be audacious and courageous. Anne Bonny embarked on a dangerous journey, one that would be written about in myths and legends for centuries.
Nuala O’Connor brings Anne Bonny to life in this magnificent reimagining. Filled with breath-taking moments of brazen courage and perilous exploits, O’Connor completely immerses the reader into some of the more scintillating moments of this wild and rebellious woman.
When I read NORA I was astounded by the way language was used and, in Seaborne, the same holds true. O’Connor writes dialect with a freedom that is so refreshing, allowing the reader to be completely consumed by this stunning and almost tangible tale.
Seaborne is a superb novel, bursting with a buzzing vitality and sensuality. O’Connor has captured a time and place with an outstanding clarity. A powerful and remarkable portrayal, Seaborne is an exuberant and passionate novel, a cracking adventure and a fascinating insight into the life of a legend.
‘The cannon releases its ball, and the crack and cloud be enough to frighten angels from the skies.’
Seaborne by Nuala O’Connor publishes April 18th with New Island Books and is described as a ‘thrilling and sensuous portrait of a young woman out of step with her time and place, but never her heart.’
Having read the exquisite NORA by Nuala O’Connor, I knew that Seaborne was going to be another exceptional and extraordinary reading experience.
Anne Bonny is a character of mythical proportions with her roots in Kinsale, a beautiful coastal town in Co. Cork. In approaching her research about this historical figure, Nuala O’Connor was very much aware that much of what was written as fact could be disputed, due to inaccuracies and fabrications over the centuries, so she set about creating a work of fiction, a novel of pure escapism and adventure. But Nuala O’Connor has a unique style to her writing, and her ability to depict such atmospheric and immersive scenes made me want to believe that everything she wrote was real.
Elaine Feeney described Seaborne as ‘a rollicking triumph of passion, and a powerful portrayal of Irish pirate, Anne Bonny––a true original' and it truly is all that. Anne Bonny’s life was dramatic, packed full with adventure and dangerous exploits. She lived on the edge and a life of domesticity was never going to be her chosen path. Over three hundred years ago Anne Bonny, alongside Mary Read, were tried for piracy. Filtering through the historical accounts over the centuries, O’Connor approached her novel with a willingness to try something different. As she says herself she would ‘draw on some of the far-fetched, fun, fictional details laid out about her, things such as her cross-dressing, her alleged bisexuality and her fierce individuality’.
Anne Bonny came into the world as the result of an affair between a lawyer and his maid. Her father, Willard Coleman left his marriage creating a new life with Anne’s mother, Mag. Born Anne Dineen Coleman, she was dressed as a boy from an early age, offering a disguise against the wagging tongues. Trouble followed them until one grey dawn when they finally left Ireland. Setting sail for the Province of Carolina, they eventually landed at the Hasty Point Plantation, where her father was employed. The change in scenery was dramatic, with Anne missing the Atlantic and the sea air but she found solace through her friendship with Bedelia, an indentured servant on the plantation.
Anne was challenged by the role she was expected to play and eventually saw a route out through marriage to Gabriel Bonny, a local seafaring man. Initially she thought that together they could sail the high seas as a team but the reality soon became very apparent. Daring deeds and excitement were side-lined for the daily drudgery of keeping house, leaving Anne Bonny restless and frustrated. Anne Bonny was stubborn with qualities that didn’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but with her friend Bedelia, she could be true to herself and share her inner dreams and secrets.
When an opportunity arose for action on the high-seas, Anne Bonny embraced it with open arms. This was it. This was her moment to explore and to fully realise her ambition to be audacious and courageous. Anne Bonny embarked on a dangerous journey, one that would be written about in myths and legends for centuries.
Nuala O’Connor brings Anne Bonny to life in this magnificent reimagining. Filled with breath-taking moments of brazen courage and perilous exploits, O’Connor completely immerses the reader into some of the more scintillating moments of this wild and rebellious woman.
When I read NORA I was astounded by the way language was used and, in Seaborne, the same holds true. O’Connor writes dialect with a freedom that is so refreshing, allowing the reader to be completely consumed by this stunning and almost tangible tale.
Seaborne is a superb novel, bursting with a buzzing vitality and sensuality. O’Connor has captured a time and place with an outstanding clarity. A powerful and remarkable portrayal, Seaborne is an exuberant and passionate novel, a cracking adventure and a fascinating insight into the life of a legend.
‘The cannon releases its ball, and the crack and cloud be enough to frighten angels from the skies.’
January 5, 2025
Nuala O'Connor's "Seaborne" charts ambitious territory in reimagining the life of Anne Bonny, one of history's most notorious female pirates, yet navigates these waters with mixed success. While O'Connor's prose craftsmanship shines through in her period-authentic language and atmospheric descriptions of 18th-century maritime life, the novel's anchor - Anne herself - proves to be its most challenging element.
The protagonist's characterization presents a complex paradox. While Anne's discontent and restlessness could serve as compelling drivers of character development, they instead manifest as persistent complaints that test reader patience. Her journey from Irish shores to Caribbean waters should herald a transformation, yet her character seems trapped in a cycle of perpetual adolescence well into adulthood. This stands at odds with the harsh realities of pirate life she encounters and the feminist undertones O'Connor attempts to weave throughout the narrative.
The novel's pacing mirrors the unpredictable nature of seafaring - alternating between periods of intense action during raids and lengthy introspective lulls. While this structure authentically reflects the realities of pirate life, it creates an uneven reading experience. The plundering sequences with Captain Rackham's crew crackle with energy, but Anne's ambivalence toward these adventures creates a curious disconnect between action and emotion.
O'Connor's decision to include frank depictions of sexuality adds historical authenticity rather than sensationalism, offering insights into the complex social dynamics aboard pirate vessels. The author's stylized prose, while initially demanding, rewards patient readers with its rich period detail. However, the absence of a glossary for nautical terminology and period-specific language creates unnecessary barriers for contemporary readers.
Perhaps most intriguing is how the novel plays with expectations - both Anne's and the reader's. The protagonist's disillusionment with pirate life mirrors our own expectations of swashbuckling adventure versus the grittier reality presented. While this subversion of tropes could be read as intentional commentary on the nature of romantic ideals versus reality, it risks leaving readers feeling as adrift as Anne herself.
The novel succeeds in its historical detail and atmospheric immersion but struggles to reconcile its protagonist's internal journey with the external adventures of pirate life. O'Connor's technical skill is evident, yet the character development remains frustratingly anchored in place.
The protagonist's characterization presents a complex paradox. While Anne's discontent and restlessness could serve as compelling drivers of character development, they instead manifest as persistent complaints that test reader patience. Her journey from Irish shores to Caribbean waters should herald a transformation, yet her character seems trapped in a cycle of perpetual adolescence well into adulthood. This stands at odds with the harsh realities of pirate life she encounters and the feminist undertones O'Connor attempts to weave throughout the narrative.
The novel's pacing mirrors the unpredictable nature of seafaring - alternating between periods of intense action during raids and lengthy introspective lulls. While this structure authentically reflects the realities of pirate life, it creates an uneven reading experience. The plundering sequences with Captain Rackham's crew crackle with energy, but Anne's ambivalence toward these adventures creates a curious disconnect between action and emotion.
O'Connor's decision to include frank depictions of sexuality adds historical authenticity rather than sensationalism, offering insights into the complex social dynamics aboard pirate vessels. The author's stylized prose, while initially demanding, rewards patient readers with its rich period detail. However, the absence of a glossary for nautical terminology and period-specific language creates unnecessary barriers for contemporary readers.
Perhaps most intriguing is how the novel plays with expectations - both Anne's and the reader's. The protagonist's disillusionment with pirate life mirrors our own expectations of swashbuckling adventure versus the grittier reality presented. While this subversion of tropes could be read as intentional commentary on the nature of romantic ideals versus reality, it risks leaving readers feeling as adrift as Anne herself.
The novel succeeds in its historical detail and atmospheric immersion but struggles to reconcile its protagonist's internal journey with the external adventures of pirate life. O'Connor's technical skill is evident, yet the character development remains frustratingly anchored in place.
June 20, 2025
Anne Bonny, notorious pirate (lately of Black Sails fame), wasn't always a swashbuckling sea dog.
She started life as an illegitimate child in a very conservative Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland. In order to pass Anne off as his apprentice, her father, Willard, and her mother, Margret, dress her and treat her as a boy. Anne comes to relish her life as Anthony and learns to sail a bit.
As a "tomboy" myself, I deeply understand the lure of being allowed to live as freely as boys do. Thankfully, times were better when I was a kid than they were for Anne, but they still aren't great. The number of times I was prevented from exploring the outside world, from rough play, from enjoying myself instead of being consigned to "help" adults with chores and childcare while my brothers idled...Anyway, back to the actual book, which is why you're reading this review, right?
Eventually, Willard and Margret leave the constraints of Kinsale for a plantation in Carolinas in the US. While the story does touch on slavery and indentured servitude (Not the same and NO the Irish weren't slaves in the same way Africans were so stop that nonsense!) it doesn't delve into either of these topics in any real way.
Anne is only ever slightly annoyed about her friend and lover Bedelia's indentured servitude because it inconveniences them when she leaves home to elope with sailor Gabriel Bonny. Even when she learns that many (probably all) the women and girls held in bondage on her father's plantation were frequently raped, she's only upset because one of those men was her father AND because one of the women he raped was Bedelia, who he impregnated, thus extending her term of servitude.
All this aside, the prose is wonderful. Anne is funny, frustrating, contradictory, and relatable to any woman who's ever yearned to be the captain of her own life.
As her marriage to Gabriel falls apart, Anne takes up with Captain Jack Rackham and eventually becomes a member of his crew. They embark on a life of piracy and rescue Mary Read, another woman pirate posing as a man so she can sail.
The last bit of the book felt a bit rushed, but also as it's the most well known part of Anne's life, I didn't mind focusing more on what brought her to her trial for piracy.
My ONLY real complaint is that at the end, she completely seems to forget about .
She started life as an illegitimate child in a very conservative Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland. In order to pass Anne off as his apprentice, her father, Willard, and her mother, Margret, dress her and treat her as a boy. Anne comes to relish her life as Anthony and learns to sail a bit.
As a "tomboy" myself, I deeply understand the lure of being allowed to live as freely as boys do. Thankfully, times were better when I was a kid than they were for Anne, but they still aren't great. The number of times I was prevented from exploring the outside world, from rough play, from enjoying myself instead of being consigned to "help" adults with chores and childcare while my brothers idled...Anyway, back to the actual book, which is why you're reading this review, right?
Eventually, Willard and Margret leave the constraints of Kinsale for a plantation in Carolinas in the US. While the story does touch on slavery and indentured servitude (Not the same and NO the Irish weren't slaves in the same way Africans were so stop that nonsense!) it doesn't delve into either of these topics in any real way.
Anne is only ever slightly annoyed about her friend and lover Bedelia's indentured servitude because it inconveniences them when she leaves home to elope with sailor Gabriel Bonny. Even when she learns that many (probably all) the women and girls held in bondage on her father's plantation were frequently raped, she's only upset because one of those men was her father AND because one of the women he raped was Bedelia, who he impregnated, thus extending her term of servitude.
All this aside, the prose is wonderful. Anne is funny, frustrating, contradictory, and relatable to any woman who's ever yearned to be the captain of her own life.
As her marriage to Gabriel falls apart, Anne takes up with Captain Jack Rackham and eventually becomes a member of his crew. They embark on a life of piracy and rescue Mary Read, another woman pirate posing as a man so she can sail.
The last bit of the book felt a bit rushed, but also as it's the most well known part of Anne's life, I didn't mind focusing more on what brought her to her trial for piracy.
My ONLY real complaint is that at the end, she completely seems to forget about .
May 21, 2025
I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
Very well written and clearly well researched, this tale of Anne Bonney just seemed to lack something. I did think that O'Connor managed to convey early eighteenth century society, relationships, and attitudes really well. The dialogue etc. feels authentic and adds to the convincing characterisations. What I did find lacking was in the real sense of the places. the sights, sounds, and smells. I never got a sense of the communities, of how the ships felt.
My main problem was with Anne herself. I guess I expected a strong willed women, determined and yes, brave. This Anne certainly has courage, but came across as more immature and self absorbed. I couldn't quite warm to her, although I did like Mary Read.
Overall, this is a well written historical novel and I am sure many readers will enjoy itm it just sisn't quite work for me.
Very well written and clearly well researched, this tale of Anne Bonney just seemed to lack something. I did think that O'Connor managed to convey early eighteenth century society, relationships, and attitudes really well. The dialogue etc. feels authentic and adds to the convincing characterisations. What I did find lacking was in the real sense of the places. the sights, sounds, and smells. I never got a sense of the communities, of how the ships felt.
My main problem was with Anne herself. I guess I expected a strong willed women, determined and yes, brave. This Anne certainly has courage, but came across as more immature and self absorbed. I couldn't quite warm to her, although I did like Mary Read.
Overall, this is a well written historical novel and I am sure many readers will enjoy itm it just sisn't quite work for me.
July 17, 2024
This is a wonderful story, beautifully written and so evocative. There were many words and phrases that I hadn't heard in years, great to hear them used again. Anne Coleman's life was certainly an interesting one, as told by Nuala O'Connor, she certainly is a memorable historical character. She is an illegitimate daughter, disguised as a boy to protect reputations (how Irish that is!) But her real obsession is the sea and everything associated with it and her story of piracy takes her from Cork to America and beyond, she finds love and loss and, quite seriously, I would have enjoyed if her life had been explored in even greater depth, the book is too short! I'll be looking out for other books by this great Irish author and would encourage you to look too.
July 6, 2025
First thing on my mind: what happened to Mary Bedelia? Did Anne just leave her on Jamaica? There's no mention of her again. And it's just so sad about Jack. After everything she went through with Gabriel, I was really happy to see her with Jack, even if it wasn't meant to be.
I thought overall this was a creative retelling of the life of a woman who is so famous, yet so little is known about her. The prose was beautiful, but I wish there was more. The pacing just felt really quick. This could have been due to the fact that there isn't much historical fact to craft the narrative around, but I enjoyed it enough that I wish it was expanded on, although I understand if the author didn't want to take too many creative liberties.
I thought overall this was a creative retelling of the life of a woman who is so famous, yet so little is known about her. The prose was beautiful, but I wish there was more. The pacing just felt really quick. This could have been due to the fact that there isn't much historical fact to craft the narrative around, but I enjoyed it enough that I wish it was expanded on, although I understand if the author didn't want to take too many creative liberties.
October 30, 2025
If you've never heard or read of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, then this book might be more interesting. But as I've read a lot about both of these women, I found that, while interesting, it was just more of the same.
O'Conner's uses of dialect did distract me a little. I realize she was trying to stay true to the time period, but I've never read any other books set in the same time period with that particular dialect. And all the characters used the same dialect, no matter where they came from. That seems unusual for me.
In all, it's a good story and if you've never read anything about pirates, then it will be an enjoyable and enlightening read.
O'Conner's uses of dialect did distract me a little. I realize she was trying to stay true to the time period, but I've never read any other books set in the same time period with that particular dialect. And all the characters used the same dialect, no matter where they came from. That seems unusual for me.
In all, it's a good story and if you've never read anything about pirates, then it will be an enjoyable and enlightening read.
September 24, 2024
SEABORNE is beautiful in every sense, from the cover design to Nuala O'Connor's sublime prose. Every sentence is crafted to perfection. This is a novel to be savoured, and Anne Bonny is a character you will adore and appreciate, as are Bedelia and Calico Jack, Anne's north stars. Though set in the 18th century, it deals with issues still relevant today, and if an answer is to be found, it is surely in the indomitale spirit of Anne, a maverick who was determined to be true to herself.
Read this book! Love this book! It is everything a novel should be.
Read this book! Love this book! It is everything a novel should be.
July 24, 2025
Historical fiction set in 18th century USA. Ann a daughter of Ireland is raised on a plantation, longs to escape to sea.
Good premise but spoilt by the unnecessary sexual relationship she seems to require with all her significant people, from her maid, her sailing companion whom she married..
Can't wait to finish it...
Also her knowledge of the world around her paired with incredible naivety, for instance being surprised by her maid's pregnancy even though she's seen her being raped by an overseer..
Good premise but spoilt by the unnecessary sexual relationship she seems to require with all her significant people, from her maid, her sailing companion whom she married..
Can't wait to finish it...
Also her knowledge of the world around her paired with incredible naivety, for instance being surprised by her maid's pregnancy even though she's seen her being raped by an overseer..
January 2, 2025
I’ve just finished Seaborne by Nuala O’Connor, a superb portrayal of the 18th century pirate, Anne Bonny, which I binged in less than a day. O’Connor’s writing is so beautiful and well-crafted, I felt transported back to the past. I love a good pirate story, and adore female pirates, of which I already knew an Irish one, Grace O’Malley. I enjoyed the adventure and the independence of Anne Bonny, and her language and voice were authentic. I shall be looking for more books by Nuala O’Connor.
July 15, 2024
Another winner from Nuala O'Connor's creative and magical pen. Anne Bonny and her love of the sea and her quest for adventure in Seaborne cleverly carries the reader along with it. I could practically sense Ann's claustrophobia when she is not seabound and when she is, well, I could practically smell the sea! A great summer read⚓
February 3, 2025
Audiobook- Enjoyed this story about a young Irish girl called Anne who yearns for a life on the sea . After marrying young and helping out with her family she decides to take on an adventure and find her calling as a pirate. It was a little rushed in places but a great story about the infamous pirate Anne Bonny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 5, 2025Was listening this as it made the list for the Dublin Literary Prize.
I had to give up after 4.5 hrs. Anne has fell in love with Bedelia, Bonny and now the pirate guy. I get that her marriage was a means for her to escape her father, but one minute she's getting hot n steamy with Gabriel and the next she can't stop thinking about Captain Rackham
I had to give up after 4.5 hrs. Anne has fell in love with Bedelia, Bonny and now the pirate guy. I get that her marriage was a means for her to escape her father, but one minute she's getting hot n steamy with Gabriel and the next she can't stop thinking about Captain Rackham
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2025
Really interesting and fast moving adventure. Read as audiobook which I think added to the story. Bit different to many others and although fiction has a degree of truth in it and the historical element was good in itself. Really well written and although th ship workings etc was detailed it was not overly done
July 23, 2025
A rollicking good read. Based on real people, but with a huge dollop of liberty taken with the story. Not something I would have normally chosen, but it was one of the Irish writers longlisted for the Dublin Literary Prize and I'm really glad I picked it up. Strong women in an unusual setting and an unusual era. And who doesn't love a good pirate story?
May 27, 2024
Wonderful. Through the eyes of the unstoppable force that is Anne and her life from plantation to piracy and her uncompromising pride in being a woman in a man's world. That it is at least part based on truth adds to this wild, uplifting and sad tale.
February 26, 2025
So many storylines in such little pages. I felt it was a bit all over the place. I enjoyed the story and the connection to Ireland and the sea throughout, but I disliked a lot of the characters unfortunately
Want to read
May 6, 2024Paperback
May 11, 2024
Absolutely gorgeous read, great story, beautiful prose, inspiring female protagonist, highly recommended 👏
May 17, 2024
Not my usual genre/style but it was a wonderfully told story and I enjoyed it.
May 22, 2024
Absorbing and an intriguing story about Anne Bonny.
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