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Title details for A True Account by Katherine Howe - Available

A True Account

Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself

by Katherine Howe
Petrea Burchard
Audiobook
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From New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe comes a daring first-hand account of one young woman's unbelievable adventure as one of the most terrifying sea rovers of all time.
In Boston, as the Golden Age of Piracy comes to a bloody close, Hannah Masury – bound out to service at a waterfront inn since childhood – is ready to take her life into her own hands. When a man is hanged for piracy in the town square and whispers of a treasure in the Caribbean spread, Hannah is forced to flee for her life, disguising herself as a cabin boy in the pitiless crew of the notorious pirate Edward "Ned" Low. To earn the freedom to choose a path for herself, Hannah must hunt down the treasure and change the tides.
Meanwhile, professor Marian Beresford pieces Hannah's story together in 1930, seeing her own lack of freedom reflected back at her as she watches Hannah's transformation. At the center of Hannah Masury's account, however, lies a centuries-old mystery that Marian is determined to solve, just as Hannah may have been determined to take it to her grave.
A True Account tells the unforgettable story of two women in different worlds, both shattering the rules of their own society and daring to risk everything to go out on their own account.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 21, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781250291455
      • File size: 298597 KB
      • Duration: 10:22:04

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 4, 2023
      Howe (The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane) brings the world of 18th-century pirates to life in this bracing outing. In 1726 Boston, 17-year-old Hannah Masury flees indentured servitude with Billy Chandler, a boy who’s hiding from the privateers he betrayed to the law to save himself. After Billy’s caught and killed, Hannah assumes his identity and boards another pirate ship, where ruthless Ned Low takes command in a grisly mutiny that sees him cut off the previous captain’s lips and feed them to a dog. Unnerved by Ned’s brutality, Hannah pretends to be his “unquestioning shipmate” until she has a chance to flee. In a parallel narrative set in the 1920s, Radcliffe College student Kay Lonergan discovers Hannah’s journal in a basement on campus; in it, Hannah hints at the location of a buried treasure in the Carribean region. Kay’s professor Marian Beresford has her doubts about the journal’s authenticity, but after Marian mentions it to her father, John, a famous explorer, he offers to fund an expedition to search for the treasure. As the Beresfords travel with Kay to the Florida Keys and Kay’s excitement draws interest from the press, Marian worries she’ll be the one discredited if the journal turns out to be a fake. Hannah’s adventures are riveting, and Howe manages to connect the parallel stories by highlighting how her women protagonists navigate the whims of powerful men. Historical fiction fans will love this. (Nov.)This review has been updated with further information.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Petrea Burchard channels the exhilaration and terror of eighteenth-century pirate life. In Boston in 1726, 17-year-old Hannah Masury finds herself in dire straits when she witnesses the death of a young sailor at the hands of ruthless privateers. Knowing that she must flee Boston, she disguises herself as a cabin boy aboard a pirate vessel captained by the infamous Ned Lowe. In 1930, Professor Marian Beresford is given a manuscript written by Hannah that may hold the secret to buried treasure. Burchard rousingly captures Hannah's forthright personality and courage, communicating her delight as she immerses herself in the happier parts of pirate life. Her portrayal of world-weary Marian, desperate for her father's approval and cautiously curious about the alleged treasure, resonates. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2024

      Bound to service from a young age, 17-year-old Hannah Masury lives in Boston during the tumultuous Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17th century. After the execution of the pirate William Fly, Hannah witnesses the brutal killing of a young sailor at the hands of privateers. Forced to flee Boston and haunted by whispers of treasure in the Caribbean, she takes on the identity of the murdered sailor, serving aboard a ship captained by the ruthless pirate Edward "Ned" Lowe. Meanwhile, in 1930, professor Marian Beresford tries to piece together Hannah's account, hoping to find the storied treasure that Hannah tried so desperately to hide. Howe (The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs) delves into the dangerous and exhilarating world of pirates to tell the tale of two women who live outside the rules of society. Petrea Burchard narrates the steadfast women, providing sympathetic portraits that capture their strengths and vulnerabilities. While Burchard's performance is rousing, her character voices are similar enough that listeners may occasionally struggle to determine who is speaking. VERDICT A swashbuckling and captivatingly told pirate story. Howe's fierce women protagonists delight.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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