'A thrilling historical novel' David Nicholls
'[A] gripping tale of true feminine courage' Martine McDonagh
Inspired by a true story, this is the tale of one woman’s uncharted voyage to freedom.
When two ships meet off the Pacific coast of New Spain, an enslaved woman seizes the chance to escape. But Maria has unwittingly joined Francis Drake’s circumnavigation voyage as he sets sail on a secret detour into the far north. Sailing into the unknown on the Golden Hind, a lone woman among eighty men, Maria will be tested to the very limits of her endurance. It will take all her wits to survive – and courage to cut the ties that bind her to Drake to pursue her own journey. How far will Maria go to be truly free?
'An extraordinary journey half way around the world by a woman who was almost completely written out of history' Mandy Haggith
'This is a lively, spirited account of the epic voyage made by Maria, a woman who was a mysterious passenger on Francis Drake’s Golden Hind' Sally O’Reilly
