Strong women have existed throughout history.
Some of them have existed as men.
Infamous 18th-century pirate Mary Read tells how she was a footboy, soldier, and wife before turning to piracy in this powerful serialised novel by the award-winning author of The Marlowe Papers.
“We are the Tadpole Kings of Guzzle Down, Rat Masters of the Pantry, Grand Under-Tablers of the Blue Anchor.”
Mary and her brother Mark are worried about their mother. They’re eight and nine, and they are preparing for murder. It doesn’t go to plan.
When Mark vanishes, and their mother’s survival demands it, Mary steps into his breeches, his name, and his life. A girl who wants to stay free must look like a boy. A boy, it turns out, can go anywhere.
From the docks of Plymouth to the battlefields of Flanders to the pirate republic of Nassau, Mary Read moves through a man’s world on borrowed identity — soldier, sailor, outlaw — guarding her secret at knife-point. The closer anyone gets, the more it costs her. And the no…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to How to Evolve to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.