The Determined
Feb 2026 · Kensington Books
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4 reviews
Ebook
400
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About this ebook
A groundbreaking novel of historical fiction based on the real experiences of two of the Golden Age of Pirates’ most infamous women, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who dared to subvert the rules and gender roles of their time.
1721, Spanish Town, Jamaica. Captured, convicted, and pregnant, 23-year-old Anne Bonny faces the gallows. When writer Captain Charles Johnson enters the garrison, she strikes a deal: she’ll tell this opportunistic fool her story if he sends a doctor to her friend, Mary Read, who’s battling prison fever.
Prior to their arrest, life at sea had offered Anne and Mary freedom that few women knew. Anne, born into scandal in Ireland, seeks home and elusive safety in South Carolina. Discovering the opposite, she makes a bitter bargain for emergency passage to the Bahamas.
Across the Atlantic in England, Mary confronts her own limitations as an illegitimate daughter. She sneaks into a merchant crew, disguised as a cabin boy. But when war sends Mary into the cavalry, she meets a challenge even she might not rival.
When their paths collide in Nassau, a notorious “pirate den,” Anne and Mary find kinship aboard the Revenge—the fastest ship in the Caribbean. With the governor out for blood, every raid brings more risk. From the high seas to the depths of a Jamaican prison, Anne and Mary must navigate impossible choices, each determined to taste freedom again.
1721, Spanish Town, Jamaica. Captured, convicted, and pregnant, 23-year-old Anne Bonny faces the gallows. When writer Captain Charles Johnson enters the garrison, she strikes a deal: she’ll tell this opportunistic fool her story if he sends a doctor to her friend, Mary Read, who’s battling prison fever.
Prior to their arrest, life at sea had offered Anne and Mary freedom that few women knew. Anne, born into scandal in Ireland, seeks home and elusive safety in South Carolina. Discovering the opposite, she makes a bitter bargain for emergency passage to the Bahamas.
Across the Atlantic in England, Mary confronts her own limitations as an illegitimate daughter. She sneaks into a merchant crew, disguised as a cabin boy. But when war sends Mary into the cavalry, she meets a challenge even she might not rival.
When their paths collide in Nassau, a notorious “pirate den,” Anne and Mary find kinship aboard the Revenge—the fastest ship in the Caribbean. With the governor out for blood, every raid brings more risk. From the high seas to the depths of a Jamaican prison, Anne and Mary must navigate impossible choices, each determined to taste freedom again.
A groundbreaking novel of historical fiction based on the real experiences of two of the Golden Age of Pirates’ most infamous women, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who dared to subvert the rules and gender roles of their time.
1721, Spanish Town, Jamaica. Captured, convicted, and pregnant, 23-year-ol...
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Ratings and reviews
4 reviews
Regina Mastrogiacomo
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February 24, 2026
I found the story inspiring. How many women in the 1700's were ever allowed to do anything, not many. In this tale based on real women pirates we get to see what happens when women take care of themselves in a world ruled by men. Even though, they meet men that help them along the way, it is mostly there smarts and iron will that gets them through most of their trials. Although, the beginning of the stories makes you believe that only tragedy meets the two women at the end, but it doesn't
Hal Kid Jr.
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March 23, 2026
Historical fiction portraying lives of two female pirates - from THEIR perspective. Anne Bonny and Mary Read want the kind of autonomy men take for granted, the kind that is unknown for women in the 18th century. Becoming a pirate offers a way, though there's a cost too.
Andrea Romance
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March 17, 2026
In 18th-century Jamaica, imprisoned pirate Anne Bonny recounts her life, from her oppressed background to the thrilling, dangerous freedom of the seas. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this novel is engrossing and heart-wrenching. It’s easy to see why Anne Bonny and Mary Read made the desperate choices they did to escape predation. Though anti-heroes, they’re relatable and sympathetic. The writing style is vibrant and immersive. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
About the author
Rachel Rueckert is an award-winning writer, editor, and teacher who holds an MFA from Columbia University and an M.Ed. from Boston University. On her first visit to Provincetown, Massachusetts, she learned about the true story of Anne Bonny, Mary Read and Samuel Bellamy and was hooked, returning to Cape Cod again and again over the years as she researched her novels If the Tide Turns and The Determined. She splits her time between Salt Lake City and Cambridge, Massachusetts and can be found online at RachelRueckert.com or on Instagram and Tiktok @rachelrueckert.
Rachel Rueckert is an award-winning writer, editor, and teacher who holds an MFA from Columbia University and an M.Ed. from Boston University. On her first visit to Provincetown, Massachusetts, she learned about the true story of Anne Bonny, Mary Read and Samuel Bellamy and was hooked, returning ...
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