A few notable mentions in the media:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS – “INQUIRING MINDS” BLOG
“Geanacopoulos used newly discovered primary sources from the 17th and early 18th centuries, including documents at the Library of Congress, to correct long-held beliefs about pirate life and to bring to light the strong women behind men widely considered outlaws and outcasts.”
Read the Q&A I did with the Library of Congress here.
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY BLOG
“There’s no swashbuckling rogue on the cover. No treasure chest. Not even a Jolly Roger or an old salt with a patch on one eye and a parrot on his shoulder.
Instead, the cover of the new book by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos—a graduate of Georgetown University’s master’s and doctoral programs in liberal studies—features … a house. Actually, a very nice house: Captain William Kidd’s three-story mansion in New York City near a city wall that would later be renamed Wall Street.”
Read the Q&A I did with them here.
THE US NATIONAL ARCHIVES
I was honored to give a virtual book talk to the distinguished audience at The National Archives
LITERARY HUB
REVIEWS
Library Journal, STARRED Review
“In her previous book, Geanacopoulos (The Pirate Next Door) looked at the family lives of four American pirates, including Captain William Kidd. She continues that theme in this book with a deep dive into the life of his wife, Sarah Kidd (1670–1744). Born Sarah Bradley, she had already established herself in New York as a socialite and enterprising merchant before she met William. He was her third husband, a well-known war hero, and wealthy. He was later charged with murder and piracy, and she fought to clear his name and obtain a pardon for him. These efforts proved futile, but it is believed that she kept the secret of where he’d buried his greatest treasure, taking it with her to the grave. Geanacopoulos dispels many of the myths surrounding piracy, showing that it was often seen as an essential service to circumvent economically crippling taxes imposed by the English monarchy on their American colonies. VERDICT Engaging and well-paced. While geared toward a general audience, this work is well-grounded in scholarly research and will likely appeal to many: the armchair historian and those with an interest in the golden age of piracy, colonial New York, and social and women’s histories.”
BOOKLIST Review
“After exploring the lives of famous pirates’ wives in The Pirate Next Door (2017), Geanacopoulos delves deeper into the life of Sara Kidd, the wife of one of history’s most famous pirates, William Kidd. The daughter of a mariner who brought his family from England to America in the late seventeenth century, at 21, Sarah was already twice-widowed when she married Captain William Kidd in 1691, a mere two days after the death of her second husband. Sarah and William’s union was a love match, resulting in the birth of two daughters before Kidd was tasked with hunting down pirates by the incoming governor of New York, the feckless Lord Bellomont, in 1695. What was supposed to be a year-long mission stretched into three disastrous years plagued by mutiny, betrayal, and plunder. When Kidd returned to America, Sarah joined him on his ship, both of them intent on finding a way to save Kidd from being charged with piracy. Geanacopoulos offers a fascinating look at the golden age of piracy while rendering Sarah’s world and her plight in vibrant detail.”
Publishers Weekly
“Historian Geanacopoulos (The Pirate Next Door) delivers a colorful biography of Sarah Kidd née Bradley, the wife and “closest confidante” of privateer William Kidd. The daughter of a widowed sea captain, Sarah emigrated from England to New York with her family in 1684. Her father partnered with a wealthy merchant named William Cox and arranged Cox’s marriage to Sarah. Though Cox helped Sarah open a shop for “imported high-end goods” in Manhattan, she was not entitled to it when he died in 1689. Recognizing that “a woman’s place in colonial society was through her husband,” Sarah quickly remarried but soon met and fell in love with Captain Kidd, a privateer “hired to legally plunder and seize enemy French ships.” After her second husband’s death, Sarah and Kidd married, and he acquired a lucrative commission to hunt French ships and pirates in the Indian Ocean. The mission proved to be his downfall, however, when he was convicted of “turning pirate” and hanged in 1701; Sarah took the location of Kidd’s buried treasure to her death 40 years later. Though Sarah remains a somewhat enigmatic figure, Geanacopoulos packs the narrative with intriguing details about piracy and privateering in colonial America. This seafaring tale fascinates.”
LINK TO FULL REVIEW OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
INTERVIEWS
“Cool Science” KPCW Radio interview, the NPR affiliate in Park City, Utah
“Extreme Genes” Podcast interview with Scott Fisher.
“Freddy’s Huge ASK” Podcast interview with Freddy Cruz.
“Writer’s Voices” Podcast interview.
Kansas City Public Radio Interview.
WGVU RADIO / Morning Show with host Shelley Irwin / Michigan, not Detroit / Interview.
“Day Drinking with Authors” Podcast Interview.
“Vulgar History” Podcast Interview.
WCAI, The Cape & Islands NPR Station, “ The Point Show with Mindy Todd” Massachusetts / Interview /
WMPR 90.1 FM, NPR Affiliate/Podcast, Jackson, MS. Interview with host Cyrus Webb.
THE MORNING SHOW, KMA Radio, KMAL and ABC Radio/ Westwood One Affiliate. Interview with host Nick Stavas.
WAMC Northeast Public Radio Productions, NPR, Albany, NY, NATIONAL. Interview with host Joe Donohue.
KKNW AM1150 & FM 98.9HD3, Seattle, WA. Interview with Vicki St. Clair.
Jefferson Public Radio, regionally syndicated NPR, Mendocino, CA & Eugene, OR.
Interview with host Geoffrey Riley.
The Not Old-Better Podcast Show, Smithsonian Associates, August, 2022.
Brigham Young University’s Top of Mind with Julie Rose Radio Show, March, 2017.
Video: