A True Account: Hannah Masury’s Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself

From New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe comes a daring first-hand account of one young woman's unbelievable adventure as one of the most terrifying sea rovers of all time.

In Boston, as the Golden Age of Piracy comes to a bloody close, Hannah Masury – bound out to service at a waterfront inn since childhood – is ready to take her life into her own hands. When a man is hanged for piracy in the town square 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.

Meanwhile, professor Marian Beresford pieces Hannah’s story together in 1930, seeing her own lack of freedom reflected back at her as she watches Hannah's transformation. At the center of Hannah Masury’s account, however, lies a centuries-old mystery that Marian is determined to solve, just as Hannah may have been determined to take it to her grave.

A True Account tells the unforgettable story of two women in different worlds, both shattering the rules of their own society and daring to risk everything to go out on their own account.

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Published Nov 21, 2023

288 pages

Average rating: 7.5

10 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

espronk
Jan 22, 2026
7/10 stars
My favorite part was the historical language and setting. The pirate story was good, however sometimes it feels like there’s a checklist of all the things a pirate story has to include, and the writer is just checking it off. It draws its strength from being based on real people, and when you read about Edward Low you realize almost all of it the events are true, which is cool. The Author’s note is also required reading, because it tells about the real Hannah Masury, who was not a pirate but was just as interesting as the fictional Hannah Masury, and more cool because she was real. Marian’s storyline felt a bit implausible and had a lot of parts that felt stretched. Why would she believe Kay right off the bat without really looking into where the book was from? How would they hope to find treasure from 200 years ago based on the location of 2 long gone palm trees? How did Kay make up enough details to make it seem plausible? It felt like there were a lot of holes and Marian jumped the gun on things a lot.
Cantina Book Club
Nov 03, 2025
8/10 stars
Howe demonstrates her fondness of historical fiction in A True Account. At first, readers are led to believe that they are reading Hannah’s story. But when we meet Marian, we realize there are two storylines in place, with two women in very different circumstances. And when both characters learn about the treasure, that’s when the real magic begins. I also appreciated the commentary about society’s expectations of women 200 years apart. Both women hide parts of themselves to fit in. Additionally, the descriptive storytelling will launch readers onto the seas themselves. They’ll feel like they are on the adventure and scavenger hunt along with Hannah and Marian, respectively. I couldn’t wait to find out how, if at all, Hannah survives, and if Marian will ever find what she’s looking for.

Read the entire book review on the Cantina Book Club website: https://cantinabookclub.com/review/a-true-account-hannah-masurys-sojourn-amongst-the-pyrates-written-by-herself-by-katherine-howe

Listen to the interview with Katherine Howe on the Cantina Book Club podcast: https://podbean.com/ew/pb-ssahv-1503cea

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