Seaborne
Seaborne
by Nuala O’Connor
Bestselling and award-winning Irish author, Nuala O’Connor, returns with the intimate and thrilling portrayal of the life of 18th-century Irishwoman, Anne Bonny.
9781848408920 | paperback | 288 pp | Publishing: 19th April 2024
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.
“With Seaborne she really hits her stride, bringing Anne Bonny to life as a lively, lusty and complicated woman ... O’Connor does a convincing job of revealing Anne’s vanished world and private thoughts with the sheer power of her imagination. Historical nuances are seamlessly woven into the narrative ... She has such a musical ear for language - you can tell that O’Connor is a poet too ... This is as swashbuckling a tale as you could hope for. Anne Boony leaps off the pages in all her fiery glory and O’Connor shows us once again how a brilliant novelist can resurrect a whole life. ”
“‘SEABORNE is a rollicking triumph of passion, and a powerful portrayal of Irish pirate, Anne Bonny––a true original. Faultless in tone, this novel is a wonderfully rendered reimagining of a great historical figure, and confirms (what I already knew) that O’Connor is one of Ireland’s leading historical novelists. Filled with desire, ambition, bravery and soul, this novel is a wonderful achievement.’”
“‘Readers can hear the snap of sails and smell the tang of sea salt in this immersive novel about the buccaneering Anne Bonny - an irrepressible and irresistible protagonist.’ ”
“‘Beguiling . . . O’Connor’s vibrant, sensual prose is a joy to read.’”
“‘No one writes voice quite as well as Nuala O’Connor. I was spellbound from start to finish.’”
“‘One of the most talented, intriguing Irish writers of her generation.’”
“ ‘What an immense pleasure it was to read and what a gorgeous and perfect ending. I love how Nuala has given a full fictive life to this incredible woman, and the women she loved, showing us how ‘they cut their own paths. Knew their hearts.’ This book, like Anne’s life, is a fabulous voyage, a wonderful, buoyant tale, sublimely imagined and beautifully told.’ ”
“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.”
