Francesca de Tores

From the author of Saltblood (winner of the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize) comes the true-life story of Alexander Selkirk, a sweeping tale of isolation and tenacity, asking: Who is a man, when everything is stripped away?

How big must a man’s folly be, that it can cost him the whole of his life? As big as a ship; as big as an island. 1704: Alexander Selkirk, navigator of a buccaneering ship in the South Pacific Ocean, is abandoned by his crew on a deserted island. An intelligent yet disagreeable man, he surely only has himself to blame for this ignominious fate. It is undoubtedly his unbending inability to compromise or to abate his arrogance that has led to his exile. And yet, in the unforgiving fact of such stark desertion, explanations and reasons why become mere inconsequential quibbles. Selkirk must use his grit, tenacity and ingenuity to survive the harsh and unfamiliar landscape of the island. But logistical necessities are only superficial and trials abound. As time stretches on – warped, flexing, immeasurable – the mental toll of isolation takes Selkirk to the brink of sanity, distorting his perception of reality. Now that he has only himself, who is this man who has never truly belonged? In Cast Away, Francesca de Tores reimagines in mesmeric detail and sparkling prose the real-life years Alexander Selkirk spent as a castaway on a desert island, the inspiration for the classic novel Robinson Crusoe. Ousted from society, left in the company of only a goat and a cat, his story asks us who we are – and who we become – when no one is around.

**WINNER OF THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE ****A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING GOOD BOOKS READER FAVOURITE**'A gripping tale of one woman's extraordinary adventures ... Saltblood is a triumph of the imagination'ELODIE HARPER, author of 'The Wolf Den' trilogy'A ravishing picaresque told with fireworks, finesse and gusto' PAUL LYNCH, author of Prophet Song'A well crafted, salty, old-fashioned adventure about identity and freedom' The TimesIn a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.Mary’s dual existence as Mark will lead to a role as a footman in a grand house, serving a French mistress; to the navy, learning who to trust and how to navigate by the stars; and to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, finding love among the bloodshed and the mud. But none of this will stop Mary yearning for the sea.Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman.She will become a pirate.Breathing life into the Golden Age of Piracy, Saltblood is a wild adventure, a treasure trove, weaving an intoxicating tale of gender and survival, passion and loss, journeys and transformation, through the story of Mary Read, one of history’s most remarkable figures.'Saltblood is exquisite. The writing is sumptuous and lyrical, the story fascinating'LOUISE O'NEILL, author of Asking for It and Idol'Startling, fresh and brilliant' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of The Clockwork Girl 'A wonderful tale and so exquisitely told ... Master and Commander meets Thelma & Louise'JAMES OSWALD, author of the ‘Inspector McLean’ series'A thrilling, gender-shaking roar of a tale every reader will enjoy'NEIL BLACKMORE, author of Radical Love 'Saltblood is a complete triumph. A glittering jewel of a novel; a treasure chest of delight. I cannot bring myself to put it down' E.S. THOMSON, author of Beloved Poison

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE ** 'A gripping tale of one woman's extraordinary adventures ... Saltblood is a triumph of the imagination' ELODIE HARPER, author of 'The Wolf Den' trilogy 'A ravishing picaresque told with fireworks, finesse and gusto' PAUL LYNCH, author of Prophet Song 'A well crafted, salty, old-fashioned adventure about identity and freedom' The Times In a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money. Mary's dual existence as Mark will lead to a role as a footman in a grand house, serving a French mistress; to the navy, learning who to trust and how to navigate by the stars; and to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, finding love among the bloodshed and the mud. But none of this will stop Mary yearning for the sea. Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman. She will become a pirate. Breathing life into the Golden Age of Piracy, Saltblood is a wild adventure, a treasure trove, weaving an intoxicating tale of gender and survival, passion and loss, journeys and transformation, through the story of Mary Read, one of history's most remarkable figures. 'Saltblood is exquisite. The writing is sumptuous and lyrical, the story fascinating' LOUISE O'NEILL, author of Asking for It and Idol 'Startling, fresh and brilliant' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of The Clockwork Girl 'A wonderful tale and so exquisitely told ... Master and Commander meets Thelma & Louise' JAMES OSWALD, author of the 'Inspector McLean' series 'A thrilling, gender-shaking roar of a tale every reader will enjoy' NEIL BLACKMORE, author of Radical Love 'Saltblood is a complete triumph. A glittering jewel of a novel; a treasure chest of delight. I cannot bring myself to put it down' E.S. THOMSON, author of Beloved Poison

**WINNER OF THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE ****A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING GOOD BOOKS READER FAVOURITE**'A gripping tale of one woman's extraordinary adventures ... Saltblood is a triumph of the imagination'ELODIE HARPER, author of 'The Wolf Den' trilogy'A ravishing picaresque told with fireworks, finesse and gusto' PAUL LYNCH, author of Prophet Song'A well crafted, salty, old-fashioned adventure about identity and freedom' The TimesIn a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.Mary’s dual existence as Mark will lead to a role as a footman in a grand house, serving a French mistress; to the navy, learning who to trust and how to navigate by the stars; and to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, finding love among the bloodshed and the mud. But none of this will stop Mary yearning for the sea.Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman.She will become a pirate.Breathing life into the Golden Age of Piracy, Saltblood is a wild adventure, a treasure trove, weaving an intoxicating tale of gender and survival, passion and loss, journeys and transformation, through the story of Mary Read, one of history’s most remarkable figures.'Saltblood is exquisite. The writing is sumptuous and lyrical, the story fascinating'LOUISE O'NEILL, author of Asking for It and Idol'Startling, fresh and brilliant' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of The Clockwork Girl 'A wonderful tale and so exquisitely told ... Master and Commander meets Thelma & Louise'JAMES OSWALD, author of the ‘Inspector McLean’ series'A thrilling, gender-shaking roar of a tale every reader will enjoy'NEIL BLACKMORE, author of Radical Love 'Saltblood is a complete triumph. A glittering jewel of a novel; a treasure chest of delight. I cannot bring myself to put it down' E.S. THOMSON, author of Beloved Poison