April 1579: When two ships meet off the Pacific coast of New Spain, an enslaved woman seizes the chance to escape. But Maria has unwittingly joined Francis Drake’s circumnavigation voyage and he’s about to set sail on a secret detour to find the fabled Anian Straits in the far north. Sailing into danger, fog and ice on the Golden Hind, a lone woman among eighty men, Maria will be tested to the very limits of her endurance. It will take all her wits to survive – and courage to cut the ties that bind her to Drake to pursue her own journey. How far will Maria go to be truly free? Inspired by a true story, this is the tale of one woman’s uncharted voyage of survival.
