Hunting a Sea-Glass Heart

by Carolyn Charron

Hunting a Sea-Glass Heart is a humorous blend of Pirates of the Caribbean and Golden Girls with a dash of magic.

Anne Bonny has changed little from the wild young pirate she was twenty years ago and chafes under the bonds of southern society in Charles Towne Carolina in 1741. The death of her father breaks these shackles and the subsequent theft of her sea-glass heart, a memento from her beloved Mary Reed, frees Anne to return to her piratical ways.

Sailing from port to port, the menopausal Anne revels in her freedom from corsets and societal constraints while she hunts down her stolen sea-glass heart, a traitorous ex-husband and the now-grown child she gave up to adoption.

Genres: Ebooks, Historical Fiction

227 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2023

About the author

Carolyn Charron is a speculative fiction writer who has always wanted to be a pirate or a wizard, preferably with a dragon companion. Her short stories have appeared in Renaissance Press' Nothing Without Us anthology of disabled writers which was nominated for a 2020 Prix Aurora award and in three of Flame Tree Publishing's Gothic Fantasy anthologies among others. On the editor's side of her desk, she read slush for Apex and Lightspeed Magazines and has been a juror for Speculative Literature Foundation grants.She was fortunate to receive a Recommender Grant from Ontario Arts Council (OAC) to write this novel, the prequel to a multigenerational series of stories following a family of blacksmiths and their magical power over metals. The next novel has also received both OAC Recommender grants and Toronto Arts Council grant.She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children and is still hoping for a pet dragon one day

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was fabulous! I decided I would pace myself when reading this book because it was so good I did want it to end! But it was so exciting I couldn’t put it down! Anne Bonny is the bad ass pirate most women want to be. The story is funny as she deals with women’s issues in a man’s world. I really hope Anne Bonny lives on in many stories to come. The book was so well written. I really look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Jen Desmarais · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so satisfying to read!! While I guessed the child's identity early on, I was incredibly confused by the mystery surrounding the Heart and was delighted by the reveal.
The amount of research involved in this book boggles my mind.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to read more by this author!!

[Julie Czerneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about having friends debut a novel is of course that they'd DONE IT!
The next best? When what they've written is something you might not have thought to pick up and I'd have been sorry to miss this story. Sea-Glass is a rousing pirate adventure, well-researched and vividly presented. And so much more. The characters, esp the women (and main character, Anne), are lovingly portrayed with all their faults and skills. You'll find yourself craving the feel of a tilting deck under your bare feet! Highly recommended--and looking forward to more.

[Meg Leland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never heard of 'sea-glass,' but learned it is a type of jewel created by the action of sea and sand, found of course on a ocean beach. The heroine, Anne, is a retired, middle-aged pirate (yes, pirate) who vows to recover her stolen jewel by returning to her youthful, buccaneering ways to track down the scoundrels who done her wrong; and along the way to find the child her despicable ex, the father of her child, had hidden from birth.
The author has written a marvellous historical novel, based on impressive research, that the reader is fated to love.

[Bree Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐ 3.25

I liked the idea of giving Anne Bonny a later in life story and I really enjoyed the throwbacks to other well-known figures. Anne is depicted as a menopausal mother of early 20’s kiddos, returning to her pirate roots to find her missing son which definitely feels like a unique angle, and I appreciated seeing the older heroine on the page. That said, the execution felt a bit flat for me. It felt like not much actually happens, and there was heavy focus on Anne’s menopause and aging body, which started to overshadow the plot. A great idea, just quieter than I expected.

[Chelsi Robichaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this pirate adventure story. Anne Bonny was a great character. I was invested in her journey and couldn’t wait to see where it went next. It was hard to put this one down. A new favourite!

[Flowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite confused at the boat repairing part, but overall this was very good.

[Erica Besore · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read with a storyline that moved quickly