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Seaborne
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.
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.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2024
About the author
Nuala O'Connor
17 books91 followersNuala O’Connor lives in Co. Galway, Ireland. In 2019 she won the James Joyce Quarterly competition to write the missing story from Dubliners, ‘Ulysses’. Her fourth novel, Becoming Belle, was published to critical acclaim in the US, Ireland and the UK. Her most recent novel Nora is about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce. Nuala is editor at flash e-zine Splonk.
She also writes as Nuala Ní Chonchúir.
She also writes as Nuala Ní Chonchúir.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 1, 2024
Seaborne is an adventure story about a young girl born in Kinsale, Cork to a maid, who, in order to keep her with her, styles her as a boy growing up, so she can stay in her father's house (a local lawyer) and be apprenticed to him. So Anne is Anthony in her childhood and loves nothing more than going out on the boat with her father, being at sea.
Eventually, in order that her parents can be together, the man abandons his wife and family, and travels with Anne and her mother to the Carolina's where he will run a plantation. But Anne having had significant freedom as a boy is none too pleased by the restrictions and rules that presenting as a girl puts upon her.
She finds solace with her friend and servant Bedelia and finds a way to have the occasional sea journey thanks to a young man, Gabriel Bonny. Seeing him as a way to escape her destiny and to a life at or near the sea, she elopes with him, taking Bedelia with her.
In the town where they settle Anne discovers that her husband isn't so keen to let her pursue her dream to be at sea, and so she finds someone who will. Captain Calico Jack will allow her to follow him and his crew into dangerous territory and a life she had never imagined but finds passion and excitement in.
Set in the 1700's, Anne Bonny is a real character, though much about her is legendary and not easily verifiable. Nuala O'Connor has familiarised herself with facts and read the fictions and re-imagined a version of a deeply unconventional life for Anny Bonny, told in a lilting, of its era prose.
It is narrated in a way that allows the reader to easily visualise the life and surroundings she inhabits and the high sea adventures she participates in, even if they are shortlived.
Eventually, in order that her parents can be together, the man abandons his wife and family, and travels with Anne and her mother to the Carolina's where he will run a plantation. But Anne having had significant freedom as a boy is none too pleased by the restrictions and rules that presenting as a girl puts upon her.
She finds solace with her friend and servant Bedelia and finds a way to have the occasional sea journey thanks to a young man, Gabriel Bonny. Seeing him as a way to escape her destiny and to a life at or near the sea, she elopes with him, taking Bedelia with her.
In the town where they settle Anne discovers that her husband isn't so keen to let her pursue her dream to be at sea, and so she finds someone who will. Captain Calico Jack will allow her to follow him and his crew into dangerous territory and a life she had never imagined but finds passion and excitement in.
Set in the 1700's, Anne Bonny is a real character, though much about her is legendary and not easily verifiable. Nuala O'Connor has familiarised herself with facts and read the fictions and re-imagined a version of a deeply unconventional life for Anny Bonny, told in a lilting, of its era prose.
It is narrated in a way that allows the reader to easily visualise the life and surroundings she inhabits and the high sea adventures she participates in, even if they are shortlived.
April 3, 2024
‘Up I go, breathing the sea, the sea breathing me, until I split waves and push myself on through the water, arm over arm, pressing forward, onward, free, unsinkable’
Seaborne by Nuala O’Connor publishes April 18th with New Island Books and is described as a ‘thrilling and sensuous portrait of a young woman out of step with her time and place, but never her heart.’
Having read the exquisite NORA by Nuala O’Connor, I knew that Seaborne was going to be another exceptional and extraordinary reading experience.
Anne Bonny is a character of mythical proportions with her roots in Kinsale, a beautiful coastal town in Co. Cork. In approaching her research about this historical figure, Nuala O’Connor was very much aware that much of what was written as fact could be disputed, due to inaccuracies and fabrications over the centuries, so she set about creating a work of fiction, a novel of pure escapism and adventure. But Nuala O’Connor has a unique style to her writing, and her ability to depict such atmospheric and immersive scenes made me want to believe that everything she wrote was real.
Elaine Feeney described Seaborne as ‘a rollicking triumph of passion, and a powerful portrayal of Irish pirate, Anne Bonny––a true original' and it truly is all that. Anne Bonny’s life was dramatic, packed full with adventure and dangerous exploits. She lived on the edge and a life of domesticity was never going to be her chosen path. Over three hundred years ago Anne Bonny, alongside Mary Read, were tried for piracy. Filtering through the historical accounts over the centuries, O’Connor approached her novel with a willingness to try something different. As she says herself she would ‘draw on some of the far-fetched, fun, fictional details laid out about her, things such as her cross-dressing, her alleged bisexuality and her fierce individuality’.
Anne Bonny came into the world as the result of an affair between a lawyer and his maid. Her father, Willard Coleman left his marriage creating a new life with Anne’s mother, Mag. Born Anne Dineen Coleman, she was dressed as a boy from an early age, offering a disguise against the wagging tongues. Trouble followed them until one grey dawn when they finally left Ireland. Setting sail for the Province of Carolina, they eventually landed at the Hasty Point Plantation, where her father was employed. The change in scenery was dramatic, with Anne missing the Atlantic and the sea air but she found solace through her friendship with Bedelia, an indentured servant on the plantation.
Anne was challenged by the role she was expected to play and eventually saw a route out through marriage to Gabriel Bonny, a local seafaring man. Initially she thought that together they could sail the high seas as a team but the reality soon became very apparent. Daring deeds and excitement were side-lined for the daily drudgery of keeping house, leaving Anne Bonny restless and frustrated. Anne Bonny was stubborn with qualities that didn’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but with her friend Bedelia, she could be true to herself and share her inner dreams and secrets.
When an opportunity arose for action on the high-seas, Anne Bonny embraced it with open arms. This was it. This was her moment to explore and to fully realise her ambition to be audacious and courageous. Anne Bonny embarked on a dangerous journey, one that would be written about in myths and legends for centuries.
Nuala O’Connor brings Anne Bonny to life in this magnificent reimagining. Filled with breath-taking moments of brazen courage and perilous exploits, O’Connor completely immerses the reader into some of the more scintillating moments of this wild and rebellious woman.
When I read NORA I was astounded by the way language was used and, in Seaborne, the same holds true. O’Connor writes dialect with a freedom that is so refreshing, allowing the reader to be completely consumed by this stunning and almost tangible tale.
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.
‘The cannon releases its ball, and the crack and cloud be enough to frighten angels from the skies.’
Seaborne by Nuala O’Connor publishes April 18th with New Island Books and is described as a ‘thrilling and sensuous portrait of a young woman out of step with her time and place, but never her heart.’
Having read the exquisite NORA by Nuala O’Connor, I knew that Seaborne was going to be another exceptional and extraordinary reading experience.
Anne Bonny is a character of mythical proportions with her roots in Kinsale, a beautiful coastal town in Co. Cork. In approaching her research about this historical figure, Nuala O’Connor was very much aware that much of what was written as fact could be disputed, due to inaccuracies and fabrications over the centuries, so she set about creating a work of fiction, a novel of pure escapism and adventure. But Nuala O’Connor has a unique style to her writing, and her ability to depict such atmospheric and immersive scenes made me want to believe that everything she wrote was real.
Elaine Feeney described Seaborne as ‘a rollicking triumph of passion, and a powerful portrayal of Irish pirate, Anne Bonny––a true original' and it truly is all that. Anne Bonny’s life was dramatic, packed full with adventure and dangerous exploits. She lived on the edge and a life of domesticity was never going to be her chosen path. Over three hundred years ago Anne Bonny, alongside Mary Read, were tried for piracy. Filtering through the historical accounts over the centuries, O’Connor approached her novel with a willingness to try something different. As she says herself she would ‘draw on some of the far-fetched, fun, fictional details laid out about her, things such as her cross-dressing, her alleged bisexuality and her fierce individuality’.
Anne Bonny came into the world as the result of an affair between a lawyer and his maid. Her father, Willard Coleman left his marriage creating a new life with Anne’s mother, Mag. Born Anne Dineen Coleman, she was dressed as a boy from an early age, offering a disguise against the wagging tongues. Trouble followed them until one grey dawn when they finally left Ireland. Setting sail for the Province of Carolina, they eventually landed at the Hasty Point Plantation, where her father was employed. The change in scenery was dramatic, with Anne missing the Atlantic and the sea air but she found solace through her friendship with Bedelia, an indentured servant on the plantation.
Anne was challenged by the role she was expected to play and eventually saw a route out through marriage to Gabriel Bonny, a local seafaring man. Initially she thought that together they could sail the high seas as a team but the reality soon became very apparent. Daring deeds and excitement were side-lined for the daily drudgery of keeping house, leaving Anne Bonny restless and frustrated. Anne Bonny was stubborn with qualities that didn’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but with her friend Bedelia, she could be true to herself and share her inner dreams and secrets.
When an opportunity arose for action on the high-seas, Anne Bonny embraced it with open arms. This was it. This was her moment to explore and to fully realise her ambition to be audacious and courageous. Anne Bonny embarked on a dangerous journey, one that would be written about in myths and legends for centuries.
Nuala O’Connor brings Anne Bonny to life in this magnificent reimagining. Filled with breath-taking moments of brazen courage and perilous exploits, O’Connor completely immerses the reader into some of the more scintillating moments of this wild and rebellious woman.
When I read NORA I was astounded by the way language was used and, in Seaborne, the same holds true. O’Connor writes dialect with a freedom that is so refreshing, allowing the reader to be completely consumed by this stunning and almost tangible tale.
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.
‘The cannon releases its ball, and the crack and cloud be enough to frighten angels from the skies.’
April 13, 2024
In the legends of pirates, there are few female figures to capture the imagination like the fiery Pirate Queen, Anne Bonny. In Seaborne, Nuala O’Connor weaves a rich narrative, creating a compelling version of Anne’s life and bringing the readers on a high-seas adventure across the Atlantic”
Much of Anne’s life has been fictionalised as not much is known about it apart from her trial for piracy along me fellow female crewmate Mary Read in 1721 but O’Connor masterfully narrates a story which brings us from Kinsale, Co, Cork, through to the Carolinas, then the pirate-infested Caribbean and finally to Spanish Towne Jamaica. Born out of wedlock to Willard Coleman and his servant Mag, Anne’s affinity for the sea was as inherent as her fiery spirit.. The family moved to the Carolinas to start a new life, where her father managed a plantation. Anne missed the Atlantic, and it was only her close friendship with the slave girl Bedelia that made life at Hasty Point Plantation bearable. Anne was never going to live the life expected of her and instead manages to find a way back to a seafaring life leading to pirate adventures in the Caribbean by eloping with Gabriel Bonny
O’Connor, fills the blanks of historical records by creating such a memorable character in Anne. I was rooting for Anne and the harsh times that she was born into, where men ruled the world and women had to live by their rules. I loved how Anne’s indomitable spirit meant she was never going to settle for the domestic role or by the rules prescribed to her as a woman. If things weren’t going the way she wanted, Anne would forge her own path and go to battle, risking her life and that of those she loved.
This book was just spectacular – the writing and pacing is executed to perfection – it pulls you right into the time and place and you can envisage yourself on-board Calico Jack’s sloop or drinking rum in the bars of colonial Nassau. You learn about a woman who rewrote the rulebook to go down in history as a ferocious pirate!
It’s so highly paced and suspenseful, leaving me with an ending that I was really not expecting. If you were a fan of Nora, then you’ve an absolute treat in store for you!
Huge thanks to Nuala O’Connor and Des @newislandbooks for giving me a proof copy in return for an honest review. Seaborne is published on April 19th.
Much of Anne’s life has been fictionalised as not much is known about it apart from her trial for piracy along me fellow female crewmate Mary Read in 1721 but O’Connor masterfully narrates a story which brings us from Kinsale, Co, Cork, through to the Carolinas, then the pirate-infested Caribbean and finally to Spanish Towne Jamaica. Born out of wedlock to Willard Coleman and his servant Mag, Anne’s affinity for the sea was as inherent as her fiery spirit.. The family moved to the Carolinas to start a new life, where her father managed a plantation. Anne missed the Atlantic, and it was only her close friendship with the slave girl Bedelia that made life at Hasty Point Plantation bearable. Anne was never going to live the life expected of her and instead manages to find a way back to a seafaring life leading to pirate adventures in the Caribbean by eloping with Gabriel Bonny
O’Connor, fills the blanks of historical records by creating such a memorable character in Anne. I was rooting for Anne and the harsh times that she was born into, where men ruled the world and women had to live by their rules. I loved how Anne’s indomitable spirit meant she was never going to settle for the domestic role or by the rules prescribed to her as a woman. If things weren’t going the way she wanted, Anne would forge her own path and go to battle, risking her life and that of those she loved.
This book was just spectacular – the writing and pacing is executed to perfection – it pulls you right into the time and place and you can envisage yourself on-board Calico Jack’s sloop or drinking rum in the bars of colonial Nassau. You learn about a woman who rewrote the rulebook to go down in history as a ferocious pirate!
It’s so highly paced and suspenseful, leaving me with an ending that I was really not expecting. If you were a fan of Nora, then you’ve an absolute treat in store for you!
Huge thanks to Nuala O’Connor and Des @newislandbooks for giving me a proof copy in return for an honest review. Seaborne is published on April 19th.
August 14, 2024
After being really fascinated by the historical character of Anne Bonny, I was really excited to start this book and had such great hopes and expectations for it, but I was so disappointed… The Anne Bonny in Seabourne was nothing like the Anne Bonny I imagined, and nothing like the Anne Bonny imagined in the recent Netflix documentary on the 18th century’s pirates of the Caribbean. Her voice in this book came across as… immature and spoiled and scattered and annoying. It’s as if her character was stuck in the 6-year-old boy personality she has in the opening chapters and just never grew out of it for the entirety of the whole story. There was no strength, no fierceness, no fearless sailing against the winds: just a lot of privileged self-entitlement. I also found the dialogues flat and uninspired, the structure of the story too chopped up and roughly stitched. I really wanted to love this, but the it really lacked substantial flavour for me.
August 22, 2024
easy to get into as the story flows very well and it captured my attention despite the fact that i usually have trouble getting into historical novels, but o’connor does a fantastic job with anne bonny’s story!
August 26, 2024
Memorable. On one level, a deeply personal portrait of a woman centuries ahead of her time (a woman pirate!), on the other, an engrossing sea tale where every buckle is swashed!
July 17, 2024
This is a wonderful story, beautifully written and so evocative. There were many words and phrases that I hadn't heard in years, great to hear them used again. Anne Coleman's life was certainly an interesting one, as told by Nuala O'Connor, she certainly is a memorable historical character. She is an illegitimate daughter, disguised as a boy to protect reputations (how Irish that is!) But her real obsession is the sea and everything associated with it and her story of piracy takes her from Cork to America and beyond, she finds love and loss and, quite seriously, I would have enjoyed if her life had been explored in even greater depth, the book is too short! I'll be looking out for other books by this great Irish author and would encourage you to look too.
September 24, 2024
SEABORNE is beautiful in every sense, from the cover design to Nuala O'Connor's sublime prose. Every sentence is crafted to perfection. This is a novel to be savoured, and Anne Bonny is a character you will adore and appreciate, as are Bedelia and Calico Jack, Anne's north stars. Though set in the 18th century, it deals with issues still relevant today, and if an answer is to be found, it is surely in the indomitale spirit of Anne, a maverick who was determined to be true to herself.
Read this book! Love this book! It is everything a novel should be.
Read this book! Love this book! It is everything a novel should be.
July 15, 2024
Another winner from Nuala O'Connor's creative and magical pen. Anne Bonny and her love of the sea and her quest for adventure in Seaborne cleverly carries the reader along with it. I could practically sense Ann's claustrophobia when she is not seabound and when she is, well, I could practically smell the sea! A great summer read⚓
May 27, 2024
Wonderful. Through the eyes of the unstoppable force that is Anne and her life from plantation to piracy and her uncompromising pride in being a woman in a man's world. That it is at least part based on truth adds to this wild, uplifting and sad tale.
Want to read
May 6, 2024Paperback
May 11, 2024
Absolutely gorgeous read, great story, beautiful prose, inspiring female protagonist, highly recommended 👏
May 17, 2024
Not my usual genre/style but it was a wonderfully told story and I enjoyed it.
May 22, 2024
Absorbing and an intriguing story about Anne Bonny.
July 17, 2024
I enjoyed it, it was something different and interesting. A refreshing break from the normal reads out now
July 28, 2024
Really evocative writing, easy to imagine it as a film.
Spicey in places, great story...loosely based on real person.
Spicey in places, great story...loosely based on real person.
August 18, 2024
Lovely book! Great characters that build and grow.
August 27, 2024
A coming-of-age historical romance? Maybe. But more of a lustful, sensual journey of a restless, naive young woman.
September 20, 2024
Had so much potential as a story but bordered on the ridiculous at times.
September 29, 2024
An enjoyable tale, which unfortunately felt rushed throughout and the epilogue could have been first to give the reader an understanding of the true story element.
June 12, 2024
This book is perfect!!
My daughter bought it for me purely because I love Nuala O’Connor and she thought the cover was pretty….then I realised it was about Anne Bonny, did a little happy dance and dived straight in!
It didn’t disappoint, family drama, love triangles and pirates! This book is so well written and beautiful, it’s not all swashbuckling and pillage…it’s full of questioned feelings, finding yourself and learning what home means.
Read it!!!
My daughter bought it for me purely because I love Nuala O’Connor and she thought the cover was pretty….then I realised it was about Anne Bonny, did a little happy dance and dived straight in!
It didn’t disappoint, family drama, love triangles and pirates! This book is so well written and beautiful, it’s not all swashbuckling and pillage…it’s full of questioned feelings, finding yourself and learning what home means.
Read it!!!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews