The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

THE PIRATE QUEEN is another amazing work of historical fiction by Ariel Lawhon; my favorite titles by her include Flight of Dreams and The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress. THE PIRATE QUEEN is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for September 2026 and received a starred review from Booklist. This novel tells the story of a storm-born girl with a special affinity for the sea, Grace O’Malley (Grainne Ni Mhaille), an Irish contemporary of Queen Elizabeth I. As such, she lived during violent times and was “a woman who took two husbands and birthed four children; who was taken captive and who took lives; a pirate; a mother; a rebel; a sacker of castles and captain of ships, of battles and blades.” There is much adventure, bloodshed, heartache, and joy in Grace’s story. It is mesmerizing, but a bit difficult to follow as Lawhon purposefully skips back and forth between chapters which recount Grace as a Maiden, a Mother and a Matriarch. She helpfully provides a long list of characters (including fictional servants Ultan, Gutty, and twins Finn and Murray), family tree, and pronunciation guide. Historical fiction fans and book groups will truly enjoy THE PIRATE QUEEN.