'[A] strong, brine-soaked adventure.'—Wall Street Journal
'This swashbuckling tale of early eighteenth-century Caribbean piracy manages to be hilarious and harrowing...Caddy successfully incorporates issues of sexuality, abuse, and male dominance, proving them as relevant then as now. An invigorating page-turner!’—Booklist
'Caddy maintains historical authenticity throughout, neither dampening the violence of the setting nor the dangers of having a marginalized body...A satisfying seafaring adventure.'—Kirkus
‘A rollicking, heartfelt and fun novel…a must for anyone looking for a story with a sharp-tongued, cutlass-wielding, savvy female pirate!’—Booktopia
‘You spend most of the book cheering them on, furiously turning the pages…great for readers of action-filled historical fiction.’—Books+Publishing
‘With the novel’s exploration of deeply personal themes, characterisation is vital, and Caddy gets it spot on…action-filled and exciting.’—ReadPlus
‘A new world of shape-shifters and a time-honoured battle between good and evil come alive in Caddy’s debut fantasy for teens.’—Kirkus on Waer
.
2020-05-02
A swashbuckling fictional account of two of the world’s most infamous pirates.
Fiery 18-year-old Anne Bonny flees from her abusive husband into the arms of Calico Jack Rackham and a life at sea. Disguised as a boy, she sails as a pirate aboard Calico’s ship—only he knows her true identity. When a dalliance with Calico leads to an unwanted pregnancy, Bonny plans to wait out her pregnancy in Cuba, where they are headed. When their ship is attacked by pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet, Calico’s crew flees, leaving an injured Bonny behind. She befriends Martin Read, an even-keeled sailor from Barnet’s crew, and the duo escape to Havana, where Bonny waits out her pregnancy. However, both Barnet and Bonny’s husband are on the hunt. Bonny’s first-person narration is punctuated by chapters following Barnet in close third person; Bonny’s narrative voice is compelling while Barnet’s portions mostly just work to keep the plot at a clip. While some aspects of Bonny’s and Read’s intersecting timelines are rearranged, Caddy maintains historical authenticity throughout, neither dampening the violence of the setting nor the dangers of having a marginalized body. Most characters are white. The two black pirates on Calico’s crew were formerly enslaved; one is also implied to be gay. The author plays with gender and identity, maintaining the spirit of the traditional story while adding much-needed trans representation.
A satisfying seafaring adventure. (map) (Historical fiction. 14-18)
