Thank you Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read and review A True Account, Hannah Masury’s Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself by Katherine Howe on NetGalley.

Published: 11/21/23

Narrator: Petrea Burchard

Stars: 3.5

Mixed feelings for this book. There are two women in different time periods telling their story. I absolutely loved Hannah's portion. Howe wrote her storyline beautifully. Every human emotion was checked off: I laughed and cried, got mad and was sad. The time period she represented was not kind to orphans. (See the synopsis.).

The second woman is trying to solve a mystery from Hannah and she sets about solving the puzzle. I could have done without this portion. I found it frustrating whenever it came up, because I wanted Hannah's story to continue. I don't believe the Professor and/or second storyline was clear. It really felt like a commercial interruption. Consequently, a satisfying ending was sacrificed.

I did like the narration.

I believe Hannah's story is impactful and recommend reading if given the opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was an interesting storytelling technique, the story of Hannah (a young girl on the run, masquerading as a young man on a pirate ship)switching off with the story of the woman discovering Hannah’s story and putting the pieces of the past together.

This was a fun and engaging story and it was enjoyable to learn Hannah’s story along with the characters in the later timeline! And the narrator of the audiobook did a wonderful job

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this story. The plot (in both timelines) moves along at a clip that keeps you interested and, unlike other reviewers, I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Marian’s 1930s storyline with Hannah’s storyline. Both main characters were enjoyable to spend time with and I appreciated their adventures. The narrator also does an excellent job!

Hannah lives in Boston as the Golden Age of Piracy is coming to a close. She finds herself embroiled in trouble and flees to the sea, disguising herself as a cabin boy aboard a pirate ship. To earn her freedom, she joins the crew in chasing down a rumored treasure. In the 1930s (apparently), Professor Marian finds Hannah’s story and sees herself in her search for freedom. Marian is determined to solve Hannah’s mystery, no matter the cost.

Unfortunately, I have almost all negative things to say about this read. There’s no good sense of time for the more modern timeline aside from the blurb saying it’s the 1930s, and honestly, this book would have been much stronger without it. It didn’t add anything to the primary (older historical) plot, and, as is often the case, slowed down and complicated the main story. I wish this had simply been left as a book of historical fiction with the older historical timeline. The ending was also entirely anti-climactic.

The older historical timeline itself wasn’t amazing, but it was stronger than the timeline set in the present. There were some interesting relevant details included such as how malnutrition can affect puberty, etc. Some of the setting descriptions were also really well written. However, this timeline was also full of cliches, both in phrases used and typical fictional pirate shenanigans. The characters weren’t really developed, and their characterization was lacking. I think this was partially due to the pages lost on the secondary timeline. But the protagonist did some awful things, and there was no deliberation or inner thoughts relating to these things, even though they seemed to go against her initial description/morals. Characters in both timelines made decisions and did things that honestly made almost no sense.

Overall, this book just didn’t work for me, and I can’t recommend it. If you’re interested in pirates and professors treasure hunting, then you may enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Inspired by Howe's own ancestor (Hannah Augusta Masury Howe), A TRUE ACCOUNT gives readers a new pirate treasure legend to think about. Split between Hannah's journal entries in the late 1700s and two female academics in 1930 attempting to prove the journal entries they discovered are real, Howe takes readers from the shores of Massachusetts onto the high seas full of pirates.

Through Hannah's pirate adventures and professor Marian Beresford's efforts to prove the legitimacy of Hannah's story, Howe also explores gender roles and sexuality... and how women have always found a way to carve out a piece of the world for themselves (if they're lucky enough).

I do think something is lost when listening to the audiobook because one Marian entered the picture the pivoting between Marian and Hannah got a bit confusing. I'm hoping the print text has a better way to distinguish between each point of view.

Petrea Burchard does a decent job with the audiobook narration, but I wish there had been a bigger difference between each character's voice to make it easier to distinguish.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

A True Account by Katherine Howe is a fantastic journey of a young gal, Hannah, who gets caught up in being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and events just seem to spiral from there. Then there is a jump to 'modern day time' of Marian (professor) and Kay (undergraduate), who try to unravel Hannah's story in search of hidden treasure. What unfolds is something I didn't see coming, a tale so bold that you have to read it for yourself. Thank you Katherine for sharing this bit of 'treasure' with us all!
Narrated by Petrea Burchard, who was easy to listen to and the pace was on point and at the right tone.
*I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

I got an advanced reader copy of the audiobook from NetGalley. I liked the story in general, but got frustrated by some repetitive phrases throughout the book. (Just a pet peeve) I love that this author writes a lot of books that are local to where I live. I also really enjoyed her note at the end of this book.

A rainy weekend was the perfect setting for this title. I loved every word. Hannah's story was perfect as was watching Marian work to find a way to be comfortable in her skin. I want more like this! Anything Katherina Howe writes is a reader and a keeper and this was no exception. Stay around for the author's note - it makes it even better!

I would like to thank the publisher and net galley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for honest feed back.


I would first like to thank Katherine Howe for writing this book it was truly an adventure. The two adventures two stories one great book.. I truly love now much description went into this book it really brought it to life made you want to Keep reading more. Yes, this book is very graphic and has cussing and violence but, come on its a pirates world I wouldn't expect any different.

I didn't mind the back and fourth between the two stories, two different periods of time I found it to make the book more interesting. Yes, it did have its slow point but a book can't be full of just action and drama.

Very well written thank you

A quick, entertaining read by an author I enjoy. The descriptions of pirating were great, and based on real figures. Hannah was believable and had depth as a character. However, Seneca was the only other character that didn’t feel one-dimensional. The frame story was the weakest - I wanted to like the characters, but found them mostly flat. The description of the historical Mad Hatter’s was perhaps the most intriguing part of the frame story.

Howe wrote a decent pirate adventure, but fell short of what could have been an excellent tale.

I think this just wasnt the book for me. I am not into the pirate fad. It started out alright but the more pirates, the less interest for me.

Copied from Goodreads:
3.5⭐️
“A True Account” continually reminded me of a more mature “True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle” (Avi, 1990). The only commonality is a young woman at sea, but the book’s tone somehow echoed Charlotte’s journey.

Set in two timelines, Katherine Howe depicts an accurate and engrossing historical fiction. The first, that of Hannah in 1720s, is written as a memoir from later in the century. The second timeline, 1930, follows a Radcliffe processor as she attempts to authenticate Hannah’s story.

I knew early on that Marian’s story would have a twist but I can honestly say that I thought of many other twists before it was uncovered.

Fans of young heroines, seafaring tales, and historical fiction will enjoy “A True Account.” The violence committed on the sea deserves a trigger warning.

Many thanks to Macmillan Publishers, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for this ARC audiobook given in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed other books by this author, which I enjoyed, but I think that the “pirate” theme just didn’t connect with me. This book is told from alternating perspectives of an academic in the 1930’s and a woman who unexpectedly finds herself working on a pirate ship. I thought it could be interesting, since I had never read a book about pirates before, but I never really connected with either story - I finished this one because I was determined to finish. I would listen to it, then put it aside for awhile, then go back.

As far as narration, the narrator was middle of the road to me - not someone I would seek out to listen to, but not problematic for me, either.

A True Account was a really fun listen!~ I appreciated the adventure of the story and how fast-paced it seems. It was a blast.

This one really drew me in from the very first - it follows the dual stories of Hannah Masury, would-be pirate, and Dr. Marian Beresford, the academic in 1930s Cambridge MA who is tasked with uncovering the secrets of Masury’s newly discovered journal, and hopefully finally making a name for herself in the process.

The characters in both timelines are incredibly rich. I really loved Hannah’s storyline, which felt fully realized even from the first chapters when we discover her ashore in Boston. I’m not always a fan of a dual-timeline piece but this was beautifully done, popping back and forth at times seamlessly and at others with jarring swiftness, but at just the right moments to feel like as a reader you were in the room with the academics discussing the newest twist in the pirating saga.

I will say I wasn’t overly fond of Marian’s character. I think her story is interesting but doesn’t quite hit the mark on making her if not likeable then at least relatable. But towards the end of the book as the story shifted focus to her work I found she began to shine more.

The casual queerness in both timelines was really delightful to see, as welcome as it was natural, and it added a depth in the early character building for sure. This was an honestly delightful romp, a serious tone that - heads up! - did include some intense moments of gory description. But always with that whimsical undertone of pirate chasing and treasure hunting. The audiobook narration by Petrea Burchard was excellent as well, such lovely pacing, she really brought the book to life

⭐️⭐️ It was OK, I can see why some loved it

When a man is hanged for piracy in the town square in Boston 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.

The storytelling was uneven for me. It was slow at times and hard to follow in others. I struggled with connecting with either Hannah or the researcher studying her in the 1930's (dual timelines & POV). The historical detail though was fantastic and I did feel like I was in those eras.

The narrator, Petrea Burchard, did a good job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, and with what expression/intension.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Katherine Howe for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. A True Account is out November 28, 2023.

I had a hard time following this in audio format. I do want to get a print copy and try again when it's easier to check back at things.

The story was interesting, but a bit slow at times. However, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves this period.

I just reviewed A True Account by Katherine Howe. #NetGalley. Thank you for a complimentary audio version of this book.

This is not the first Katherine Howe novel I have read and enjoyed. Her attention to historic detail is one of the aspects that draws me to her books and “A true account” does not deviate from that trend. There is a dual time line here, one the main story and the other an investigation into that story with a few twists along the way. Personally a deeper connection between the two timelines would have made the story much more compelling to me. Still it is worth a read, just not perhaps as deep a story as I expected.

This is an enthralling account of a supposed young girl who under treacherous circumstances finds herself masquerading as a cabin boy on a pirate ship. It is also a book about the young college student who found the book with this thrilling true account who presents it to her professor (whose father is a member of the famed Explorer's Club) on the premise that they go find the treasure. both stories are intriguing and keep the reader enthralled whether on audio or in print (I had access to both.) It is a very enjoyable and surprising story and I enjoyed it immensely!