Saltblood
Author: Francesca De Tores
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 345
Format: Hardback
My Rating: ★★★1/2
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 345
Format: Hardback
My Rating: ★★★1/2
“I’ve had many names.
Some were given to me, and some I took.
In the main, they call me Mary Read.
As for my true name?
Go ask the sea.”
In a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.
Mary’s dual existence as Mark will lead to a role as a footman in a grand house, serving a French mistress; to the navy, learning who to trust and how to navigate by the stars; and to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, finding love among the bloodshed and the mud. But none of this will stop Mary yearning for the sea.
Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman.
She will become a pirate.
Some were given to me, and some I took.
In the main, they call me Mary Read.
As for my true name?
Go ask the sea.”
In a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.
Mary’s dual existence as Mark will lead to a role as a footman in a grand house, serving a French mistress; to the navy, learning who to trust and how to navigate by the stars; and to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, finding love among the bloodshed and the mud. But none of this will stop Mary yearning for the sea.
Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman.
She will become a pirate.
My thoughts:
Reimagining the life of groundbreaking seventeenth-century woman pirate Mary Read, de Tores' dynamic debut entwines themes of gender and survival into a rollicking period adventure story.
I read Saltblood as part of my monthly book club, and it sparked a rich and lively discussion. Francesca de Tores delivers a vivid and atmospheric novel inspired by the life of Mary Read, one of the most fascinating women to sail the high seas. The writing is evocative and immersive, and I particularly enjoyed the exploration of identity, survival, and freedom in a world hostile to women who don’t conform.
While I really enjoyed the book overall, I did feel the pacing was a little uneven in places. There were moments that felt slow or overly detailed, especially in the earlier chapters. Personally, I would’ve loved more time spent delving into Mary’s experiences as a pirate—those sections were gripping and full of life, and I found myself wishing they had taken up a larger portion of the novel.
That said, Saltblood is a well written and original take on a historical figure who has often been sidelined or romanticised. De Tores brings nuance and emotional depth to Mary Read’s story, and I’m glad to have read it. It’s a powerful portrait of a woman fighting to live on her own terms in a dangerous and unpredictable world.
Overall reaction:
Reimagining the life of groundbreaking seventeenth-century woman pirate Mary Read, de Tores' dynamic debut entwines themes of gender and survival into a rollicking period adventure story.
I read Saltblood as part of my monthly book club, and it sparked a rich and lively discussion. Francesca de Tores delivers a vivid and atmospheric novel inspired by the life of Mary Read, one of the most fascinating women to sail the high seas. The writing is evocative and immersive, and I particularly enjoyed the exploration of identity, survival, and freedom in a world hostile to women who don’t conform.
While I really enjoyed the book overall, I did feel the pacing was a little uneven in places. There were moments that felt slow or overly detailed, especially in the earlier chapters. Personally, I would’ve loved more time spent delving into Mary’s experiences as a pirate—those sections were gripping and full of life, and I found myself wishing they had taken up a larger portion of the novel.
That said, Saltblood is a well written and original take on a historical figure who has often been sidelined or romanticised. De Tores brings nuance and emotional depth to Mary Read’s story, and I’m glad to have read it. It’s a powerful portrait of a woman fighting to live on her own terms in a dangerous and unpredictable world.
Overall reaction:
