Island of Treasure

The ancient Greek writer Lucian wrote a story about a voyage to the moon which he called A True Account. The conceit in Katherine Howe’s novel is that a manuscript written by a female pirate which features pirates known to history might lead the reader to a buried treasure trove.

There are two time periods: the Eighteenth-Century period of the manuscript and a university campus in the 1930s. Both environments focus on women trying to be successful in a world controlled by men. The more successful account is the pirate tale. In it, young Hannah Masury disguises herself as a cabin boy and is employed on what appears to be a decrepit old trading ship. Of course, the crew are pirates, some historical – the captain, William Low – and there is a treasure map, a former cabin boy called Jim (as in Hawkins) and a cook called Barbecue. The references to Treasure Island are amusing but immediately give the lie to the book’s title, something the 1930s college teacher fails to recognise.

The story is fun for the most part, its twists and turns hold the reader’s interest, but it is violent throughout, and almost entirely implausible, despite the teasing title.

I requested this book before knowing the author's personal stance which is important even though irrelevant to her book. I can't separate the art from the artist so I think I'll never read this book. Apologize to the publisher, I'm still looking forward to read another book from Magpie Book.

This is a novel set in the Golden Age of Piracy and tells the story of Hannah Masury, who has to run away and disguise herself as a cabin boy.
Meanwhile Marian finds Hannah's account in relatively modern times, 1930.
The two women are connected and not just through Marian finding the account but by their circumstances, since women are still not free in the thirties, it is still very much a man's world.
This a delicious page turner of a novel and very well written. I loved it, and would recommend it highly.