Julie Walker

Caribbean, 1720. Two extraordinary women are on the run - from their pasts, from the British Navy and the threat of execution, and from the destiny that fate has written for them.

Plantation owner's daughter, runaway wife, pirate - Anne Bonny has forged her own story in a man's world. But when she is involved in the capture of a British merchant ship, she is amazed to find another woman amongst the crew, with a history as unconventional as her own. Dressed as a boy from childhood, Mary Read has been a soldier, a sailor, a widow - but never a woman in charge of her own destiny.

As their exhilarating, tumultuous exploits find fame, the ballad of Bonny and Read is sung from shore to shore - but when you swim against the tide of history, freedom is a dangerous thing...

'Wonderfully drawn characters and a terrific pace.' Jess Kidd, bestselling author of The Night Ship

'A wonderful story, so beautifully told and absolutely gripping to the very end.’ Emma Carroll

'Bonny and Read has it all.  Adventure, atmosphere, sizzling suspense and unforgettable characters. Such a brilliant debut!' SD Sykes, author of The Good Death

'A deftly told tale of the complexities of friendship, female identity & freedom, featuring two remarkable women determined to define their own destinies . . . the pages turn themselves.' Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones

'What a debut! A fabulous, dangerous sea-shanty of a story.' Katie Munnik, author of The Aerialists

‘A poignant depiction of true female friendship and a really good adventure story, beautifully told’. Frances Quinn author of The Smallest Man

‘A cracking read. . . Fascinating, complex characters and a real page-turner!’ Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts

‘Based on the true story of female pirates, this swashbuckling debut is great fun.’ The Times

'Walker’s book is a warm and wonderful tribute to these timeless women, with intriguing detail of the period and the pirate life.' Lisa Redmond, Historical Novel Society