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Sea Star: Private Life of Anne Bonny
A fictional account of the real-life exploits of pirate queen Anne Bonny follows her adventures from her rebellious youth through her career as a pirate
391 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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194 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 12, 2012
This is a romance novel but also a great story about Anne Bonney. It sparked a life-long fascination for me with her life and her adventures. And the mystery remains of how she lived out her days after she put her pirating life behind her.
April 30, 2013
3.5 stars
An interesting account of the life of Anne Bonny, the pirate queen. This book begins in 1700 in Cork, Ireland. William Cormac, a well to do Englishman, has just learned that his mistress, Mary, has given birth to a daughter, Anne. William doesn't particularly like his wife and won't give up Mary and Anne. He doesn't want to see his daughter brought up amid the prejudices in town so William, Mary and Anne leave for the southern colonies of the New World. They end up in Charles Town of the Carolinas. Anne is precocious and independent from the start. What follows is the story of Anne's life.
There is a lot of information on piracy in the Caribbean. James Bonny, Calico Jack, Stede Bonnet, Mary Reed all make appearances. On New Providence Island, pirate headquarters so to speak, we see how the pirates had their own form of government and were relatively free to come and go as they please due to a corrupt Governor. There is a lot of information on piracy in general. There was a very fine line between pirate and privateer. Anne Bonny sure led a dangerous and adventurous life.
Jekel, as usual, researched this thoroughly. This book is a bit different from the others I have read by her, as it is not about one place through hundreds of years. It was very interesting and would have been a solid 4 stars for me had it not been for the over the top and overly descriptive bedroom (or hammock on a caribbean island) scenes, too much info for me!
An interesting account of the life of Anne Bonny, the pirate queen. This book begins in 1700 in Cork, Ireland. William Cormac, a well to do Englishman, has just learned that his mistress, Mary, has given birth to a daughter, Anne. William doesn't particularly like his wife and won't give up Mary and Anne. He doesn't want to see his daughter brought up amid the prejudices in town so William, Mary and Anne leave for the southern colonies of the New World. They end up in Charles Town of the Carolinas. Anne is precocious and independent from the start. What follows is the story of Anne's life.
There is a lot of information on piracy in the Caribbean. James Bonny, Calico Jack, Stede Bonnet, Mary Reed all make appearances. On New Providence Island, pirate headquarters so to speak, we see how the pirates had their own form of government and were relatively free to come and go as they please due to a corrupt Governor. There is a lot of information on piracy in general. There was a very fine line between pirate and privateer. Anne Bonny sure led a dangerous and adventurous life.
Jekel, as usual, researched this thoroughly. This book is a bit different from the others I have read by her, as it is not about one place through hundreds of years. It was very interesting and would have been a solid 4 stars for me had it not been for the over the top and overly descriptive bedroom (or hammock on a caribbean island) scenes, too much info for me!
September 18, 2019
I’d give this book a 1/10 for content, accuracy, and writing style, but a 9/10 for work bathroom amusement.
October 21, 2018
I give 2 points for the research Pamela Jekel has done. But I did't really think of this book as entertaining.
Actually I expected to get a real pirate story and I was a bit disappointed in the end. I think this book is (at least in my opinion) too much about Anne's love life and I did't really want to know so many details about it - especially since they are fiction anyways.
I know this book is old, but thinking of a pirate queen, I expected to read at least about a strong, independent women- which I think she's not in this book. She's always only portayed as someones concubine, mostly caring about her feelings.
Actually I expected to get a real pirate story and I was a bit disappointed in the end. I think this book is (at least in my opinion) too much about Anne's love life and I did't really want to know so many details about it - especially since they are fiction anyways.
I know this book is old, but thinking of a pirate queen, I expected to read at least about a strong, independent women- which I think she's not in this book. She's always only portayed as someones concubine, mostly caring about her feelings.
May 13, 2017
Li este livro há muito tempo mas recordo-me de ter gostado muito.
Trata-se de um romance histórico que narra as aventuras e as paixões de Anne Bonny, a rainha dos Piratas, que nos transporta às maravilhosas paisagens das Caraíbas.
Trata-se de um romance histórico que narra as aventuras e as paixões de Anne Bonny, a rainha dos Piratas, que nos transporta às maravilhosas paisagens das Caraíbas.
May 1, 2016
I loved this book. It has all, pirates (arrr!) in a cool historical setting (Carribea), strong heroine, adventure, romance and plenty of twists and turns of fate.
October 23, 2019
Como resumir o livro em poucas palavras?
Anne Bonny. Sexo. Pirataria. Sexo. Saques. Sexo. Homens. Sexo.
Foi o primeiro livro deste gênero que li, e não, não é um livro erótico - de todo. Porém é fácil perder a conta a quantos homens dormem com Anne, embora a mesma seja menor durante grande parte do livro (ponto que me chocou um pouco, tenho que confessar, mas que era perfeitamente normal na época em que se passa o romance).
A personagem tinha tudo para ser um furacão da natureza, mas são mais as vezes que usa as suas partes intimas como arma do que o cérebro. No entanto, não deixa de ser um bom romance e está muito bem redigido.
Não é um livro que canse e não é uma narrativa dificil de reter. É fiel à época a que remonta, e foi cuidadosamente engendrado pela autora.
Claramente não foi um dos meus livros favoritos, mas recomendo a sua leitura!
Anne Bonny. Sexo. Pirataria. Sexo. Saques. Sexo. Homens. Sexo.
Foi o primeiro livro deste gênero que li, e não, não é um livro erótico - de todo. Porém é fácil perder a conta a quantos homens dormem com Anne, embora a mesma seja menor durante grande parte do livro (ponto que me chocou um pouco, tenho que confessar, mas que era perfeitamente normal na época em que se passa o romance).
A personagem tinha tudo para ser um furacão da natureza, mas são mais as vezes que usa as suas partes intimas como arma do que o cérebro. No entanto, não deixa de ser um bom romance e está muito bem redigido.
Não é um livro que canse e não é uma narrativa dificil de reter. É fiel à época a que remonta, e foi cuidadosamente engendrado pela autora.
Claramente não foi um dos meus livros favoritos, mas recomendo a sua leitura!
February 24, 2022
Might the real Ann Bonney have grown up as a Scarlett O'Hara-type slave owner? Maybe, we don't know that much about her. Do I want to read her as a Scarlett O'Hara-type slave owner? Absolutely not.
July 11, 2023
No es mi tipo de libro, así que no estoy segura si es bueno o malo objetivamente
November 25, 2020
I loved reading this book!
It felt as if I was roaming the seas right there, by Anne Bonny side. It took me on a journey far far away, full of adventures, duels, mutiny, survival, love, rebellion, revolution and pirates.
It felt as if I was roaming the seas right there, by Anne Bonny side. It took me on a journey far far away, full of adventures, duels, mutiny, survival, love, rebellion, revolution and pirates.
April 18, 2012
LOVED this book!
I'm a sometimes reader of romance novels - not really following any particular authors besides maybe Sidney Sheldon. I actually stumbled on this book left at a laundry mat one day and just started reading it. I loved the story before I even found out that Anne Bonny and Mary Read were real pirates.
I'd heard of Blackbeard of course. But because of this book I ended up finding out all about Anne and admiring her so much since there has got to be an Anne Bonny inside every woman somewhere looking to get out. Or at least I certainly hope so, because I love that part of myself.
Turns out almost all of the main characters in this book were actual pirates or whatnot. I think this story was a great way to imagine the gaps in history's knowledge of Anne were filled. And it is pretty smoothly tied in to what history tells us actually happened to her in the end - from her exploits, to her romances with several famous pirates, to her capture and release, until she retired from pirating, disappeared from the history books and never turned up again.
Some people said the book was boring, but I don't see that. Everything can't be Jack Sparrow. Sooner or later pirates do something besides swing onto other ships on ropes and hobble around on peg legs with parrots on their shoulders. And as such, this was a great period story. Every time I read it, I am overcome with the urge to go to Disneyland and eat at Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square :)
I'm a sometimes reader of romance novels - not really following any particular authors besides maybe Sidney Sheldon. I actually stumbled on this book left at a laundry mat one day and just started reading it. I loved the story before I even found out that Anne Bonny and Mary Read were real pirates.
I'd heard of Blackbeard of course. But because of this book I ended up finding out all about Anne and admiring her so much since there has got to be an Anne Bonny inside every woman somewhere looking to get out. Or at least I certainly hope so, because I love that part of myself.
Turns out almost all of the main characters in this book were actual pirates or whatnot. I think this story was a great way to imagine the gaps in history's knowledge of Anne were filled. And it is pretty smoothly tied in to what history tells us actually happened to her in the end - from her exploits, to her romances with several famous pirates, to her capture and release, until she retired from pirating, disappeared from the history books and never turned up again.
Some people said the book was boring, but I don't see that. Everything can't be Jack Sparrow. Sooner or later pirates do something besides swing onto other ships on ropes and hobble around on peg legs with parrots on their shoulders. And as such, this was a great period story. Every time I read it, I am overcome with the urge to go to Disneyland and eat at Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square :)
December 28, 2025
As far as I know its the only book this author wrote. She did all of her research from John carlova's book mistress of the seas, which I also own. I love the historic version of anne bonnys life... And the "romance novel" aspect that she added to it was entertaining.
Update: I always wanted to be A new Bonny.
Recently a. Ew group has released a great so g based on her life:
https://m.youtube.com/@rowdybunchseas...
Give it a listen!!
Update: I always wanted to be A new Bonny.
Recently a. Ew group has released a great so g based on her life:
https://m.youtube.com/@rowdybunchseas...
Give it a listen!!
September 5, 2007
I read this book a long time ago and have read it a couple more times since then. It's an interesting take on Anne Bonny's life.
February 4, 2008
SNOOOZE FEST. the most boring pirate romance i have ever read, and yes i have read many. this was a great idea executed poorly.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews