While a great deal of the publicity around this book has been about the fact it deals with the Eighteenth Century female pirates, the historical figures of Mary Read and Anne Bonney, this beautifully written, marvellously crafted tale deals with so much more. The novel follows the life, and is written from the point of view of, Mary Read who, from the moment she is born, is forced to adopt a male identity and become her dead brother, Mark.
For various reasons which I won’t elaborate on because I don’t want to give away spoilers, Mary/Mark maintains a male guise and not only joins the navy but also succeeds on board not one but a couple of ships for years. Later, when the crew is disbanded, she joins the army as a male soldier as well. Drawn into battles, experiencing death, loss and so much more, she eventually sheds her male identity and for the first time in years becomes a woman. The reader then follows her journey from soldier, to wife, to tavern-owner to eventually seeing her return to the high seas, only this time as a capable female sailor.
Circumstances gradually see her legitimate sea-faring days come to an end and it’s only then, and after meeting the indomitable Anne Bonney, in whom she not only recognises a kindred spirit, but finds love, that she becomes a pirate. The story then follows the risky adventures of the women under the leadership of Captain Jack.
I simply adored this book – its historical accuracy and the way De Tores plunges the reader into the period and life at sea is sensational. The tale wears its history in the best possible of ways, with a light but informative touch that makes you want to go and research further (which I did). Life is breathed into Mary Read and not only do we love, laugh, and anguish for her as she lives her life in a male-dominated world, repressing her self but also finding it, but the way in which de Tores explores gender identity, indeed, gender fluidity, and the compromises it demands and questions, its challenges and the joys it brings is, marvellous. It’s easy to think that the notion of being gender fluid or sexually ambiguous is something recent, yet a quick look at human history reveals these questions, the drive to push against sexual, social and gender norms, has been around for centuries.
Saltblood (and what a great title and cover) is a book that will linger in my heart and mind. With its captivating prose, a plot built from the scaffolding of history, it’s a must-read for lovers of history, for those curious about the people who lived bold and courageous lives and those who defied convention. It’s also for those who want a to read a book that’s damn difficult to put down. Simply magnificent.