Saltblood: a novel about Mary Read

[SaltPorridge]

This novel was published a few weeks ago. I've enjoyed reading it immensely - beautiful writing - and thought it tells an intriguing story.

Mary Read was a real person who lived during the 18th century. Her mother pretended she was her brother Mark, and as a young woman disguised as a man Mary joined the navy, and eventually (avoiding spoilers) became a pirate alongside an Irishwoman, Ann Bonny.

It feels important that stories like this are told, albeit through the lens of a present-day concept of gender.

So Mary was a trans man then?

<Ducks to avoid incoming missiles>

Do you know the song Polly Oliver.

Oh great, this gives me an excuse to posts this again:

by the wonderful Tríona Ní Dhomnaill, from yonks ago, but always makes me smile

Not at all, rather as neither man nor woman, but something else, primarily a sailor. The book is much bigger and more nuanced than that. I don't know yet what I think of it.

I know about her (though not all the detaiks) from my Ladybird book of Pirates - at least, it's how I knew there were women pirates Mary Read and Ann Bonny.