The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye

A Novel

By: Briony Cameron

Narrated by: Angel Pean

This “thrilling, swashbuckling story” (People) based on true events illuminates a woman of color’s rise to power as one of the few female pirate captains to sail the Caribbean, and a forbidden love story that will shape the course of history.

In the tumultuous town of Yáquimo, Santo Domingo, Jacquotte Delahaye is an up-and-coming shipwright, but her ambitions are bound by the confines of her self-seeking French father. When her way of life and the delicate balance of power in the town are threatened, she is forced to flee her home and become a woman on the run along with a motley crew of refugees, including a mysterious young woman named Teresa.

Jacquotte and her band become indentured servants to the infamous Blackhand, a ruthless pirate captain who rules his ship with an iron fist. As they struggle to survive, Jacquotte finds herself unable to resist Teresa despite their differences. When Blackhand hatches a dangerous scheme to steal a Portuguese shipment of jewels, Jacquotte must rely on her wits, resourcefulness, and friends to survive. But she discovers there is a grander, darker scheme of treachery at play, and she ultimately must decide what price she is willing to pay to secure a better future for them all.

Passionate, action-packed, and unputdownable, The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is “a beautiful and, at times, gut-wrenching tale of found family, self-discovery, and the true meaning of freedom” (M. J. Kuhn, author of Among Thieves).

Critic reviews

"Pean fully inhabits the bold Jacquot, who fearlessly stands up to men, and gives textured intonations and accents to the many multiracial characters. Her poignant depiction of the tenderness between Jacquot and Theresa softens the frequent scenes of fighting."

Exactly what I was looking for

Such a great historical fiction about a queer pirate! Spectacular storytelling and great action. Loved the main character. Great narrator too

great adventure and love story

great reading of the story, seems like a story that could be true. great characters and vivid descriptions

Excellent read

A great thriller about the life of jacquotte Delahaye. How she dealt with a lot that was given to her and how she over came a lot of it.

Not sure what I expected…

Not my genre 😒. It’s a tale about pirates, all right. Extremely violent, gruesome, and not realistic at all. I guess that’s what to be expected with pirate tales.

Love and equality wins in the end!

I love this book! I love the characters, the storytelling, the performance, what a great story of love and redemption!