Rachel Wall: A Bonnet for the Gallows

She was born on the windswept farms of Pennsylvania and died beneath the gallows in Boston. But in between, Rachel Wall lived a life that defied scripture, society, and history itself. From the creaking pews of Presbyterian sermons to the blood-slicked decks of a pirate schooner, Rachel's story unfolds with chilling accuracy and brutal beauty. Married to a charming sailor who lured her into a life of crime, Rachel became the bait in a deadly game—luring ships with cries for help, only to watch their crews slaughtered and treasures seized. Twelve ships. Twenty-four dead. One woman at the center of it all. But Rachel's crimes did not end at sea. After her husband's death, she walked the shadows of Boston as a thief, a ghost, and a legend in the making. When the final arrest came, it was not for murder—but for a bonnet. And for that, she was hanged. Rachel Wall: A Bonnet for the Gallows is a sweeping, historically accurate novel that pulls no punches, offering an unflinching look at the real events behind America's first—and last—female pirate execution. Includes a factual timeline of Rachel Wall's life to help dispel the many myths history has twisted around her name. "One of the most chilling portraits of female piracy ever written. This isn't fantasy, it's a eulogy with salt." Penny Nicholson, Historian