The Unbinding of Mary Reade

May 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-In her debut novel, McNamara creates a compelling backstory for legendary female pirate Anne Bonney, as well as folding accurate historical details into a plot about how and why youth took to sea in 18th-century England, the physical and social hazards of social class clashes on land and at sea, and the gender politics that, then too, made the simple fact of being female constantly dangerous. The fictional Mary Reade, raised from early childhood as a boy, leaves her poverty-stricken home in Wapping, London, with her best (and uninformed) friend, a boy who later becomes a love interest and a danger in her life when they meet again in the Caribbean. In the meantime, Mary has shot an evil sea captain, joined a pirate gang that includes Anne and her lover, Calico Jack, and has finally been revealed as a young woman rather than a young man. Anne and Mary fall in love across months and chapters that present only a slightly anachronistic view of their awareness and willingness to follow their hearts. All of this makes for delightful reading for anyone who enjoys pirate stories or is seeking LGBTQ+ fiction that is positive as well as fairly realistic. VERDICT A great choice for historical fiction collections.-Francisca Goldsmith, Library Ronin, Worcester, MA

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May 1, 2018
Seventeen-year-old Mary Reade has always longed for the sea; surviving poverty by living as a boy, she sails under the command of a cruel and tyrannical captain.When their ship is boarded by pirates, Mary joins the pirate crew as Mark Reade, seizing a way to head toward Nassau, where her childhood best friend and crush resides. She immediately becomes smitten with Calico Jack Rackham's partner, Anne Bonny, who is everything Mary isn't: fiery, impetuous, and feminine. It becomes clear Anne's also smitten, but Mary is terrified of the potentially deadly consequences of coming out. When she does reveal her secret, she discovers Anne will do whatever's necessary to survive--including outing Mary and forcing her to make some difficult choices. Debut author McNamara doesn't shy away from depicting the horrors of a misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic society. The third-person narration always uses feminine pronouns for the protagonist, although Mary expresses discomfort with claiming a binary gender identity. At times, Anne's characterization leans toward the cheating bisexual, and Mary's self-doubt and self-loathing may be difficult, rather than enlightening, for trans and nonbinary readers. Readers well-versed in the lives of the famous pirate duo may feel hornswoggled that so much of their known story has been underwhelmingly altered for this telling, and pirate fans will feel disappointed that there is relatively little swashbuckling.Full of potential but unfortunately never quite finds its sea legs. (Historical fiction. 14-17)

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May 15, 2018
Grades 8-11 In her debut, McNamara juggles varied plotlines with the control of a master sailor. The story starts in 1719, when in a boat under siege, Mary, disguised as Mark, spies something she's never conceived of before: a pirate girl. Anne is the pirate captain, Calico Jack Rackham's mistress, and a swashbuckling force in her own right. Mary, who's been playing at being a boy almost her whole life, is soon a member of the pirate band, and confused by her attraction to Anne. Tropical islands, the lure of loot, the threat of being hung for pirating or being unnatural, and the hard life conventional women must live all conspire to throw roadblocks in the way of Anne and Mary's romance. As Mark, Mary is used to binding her breasts so she looks like a boy, but there's a lot more she needs to unbind to live a full life. The connections to issues today will inspire readers to think beyond the adventure and root for a happy ending. An auspicious first novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)