The Tenth Gift

On a Sunday morning in July 1625, Barbary pirates sail into a quiet Cornish bay and storm the church. Their loot: sixty men, women and children, kidnapped and bound for northern Morocco, where they are to be sold in the thronging slave market of the Souq el Ghezel.

Amongst them is Catherine Anne Tregenna, a talented young embroiderer. But as her diary reveals, Cat is anything but the subservient and compliant slave that her captors were expecting – and as the coast of England fades from sight, adventure beckons in the East …

In an exclusive London restaurant, a gift is given that will change Julia Lovat’s life. The antique book of Jacobean embroidery delights her, but when she settles down to read it more closely, she unexpectedly discovers within its foxed and faded pages the extraordinary diary of a young Cornish girl, calling to her from across the centuries…

The stories of these two women are destined to converge in an extraordinary and haunting manner.

With handsome pirates, beautiful slave girls, exotic mysteries and Moroccan markets, Crossed Bones / The Tenth Gift is an enthralling adventure of the high seas, based on the real-life raids on the Cornish coast by 17th century Barbary corsairs.

Quotes, Reviews & Comments

  • “An unashamedly escapist page-turner that will be enjoyed by fans of Kate Mosse and Philippa Gregory” – DAILY MAIL
  • “A remarkable view of Barbary pirates and their times, and an engrossing romance of clashing cultures and wonderful characters” – Diana Gabaldon
  • “Jane Johnson – better known as the genre writer Jude Fisher – takes a break from warrior princesses and wizards to explore a fantastical story plucked from the pages of real life. In 1625, a group of Barbary corsairs landed in Cornwall, taking captive 60 locals. Re-imagining this historical event, Johnson follows the fate of Cat Tregenna, a spirited lady’s maid who surrenders herself to her new destiny, and into the arms of the infidel. Back in the present day, Julia Lovat, fresh from an affair with a married man, comes across Cat’s diary entries in a needlework book. Written with charm and gusto Johnson revivifies the guilty pleasures of historical romance.” – THE INDEPENDENT
  • “The Tenth Gift is wildly yet convincingly romantic… Johnson weaves together the two women’s lives, exploring issues–love, desire, ambition and guilt–that transcend time. Beautifully narrated, the result is both a sensitive portrayal of Muslim culture and a delectable adventure of the heart” — USA TODAY
  • “Beautifully written, first-class escapism… a meticulously researched epic story. You come to care about the pirates who kidnap Cat and the tensions between Islam and the West are well explored” – Louise Bagshawe, MAIL ON SUNDAY
  • “I took it to read in the bath and was still reading when the water had gone cold! I really couldn’t put it down. Exciting and romantic (oh so romantic!) and there is so much suspense. The descriptions are fabulous, too. It deserves to be a huge success” — Barbara Erskine
  • “Echoes of Jamaica Inn make this a cracker” – Alex Heminsley on The Weekender, Radio 2
  • “An atmospheric and hugely romantic adventure story” – MARIE CLAIRE - 5 star review by Eithne Farry
  • “Johnson’s extremely clever linkage between the present search for the truth and medieval heritage never wanes. Her historical research gives the novel a desperate edge, embroidered with classic needlework which is also at the heart of a story of entrapment and slavery.” — Colin Gardiner, OXFORD TIMES
  • “The Tenth Gift explores love, forgiveness, work, captivity in its various forms and the meaning of life. Characters strive to build their faith whether they understand everything that happens to them or not. A based-on-true-life plot makes for a riveting tale, all the way to the improbable if emotionally satisfying ending” – BOOK PAGE
  • “Johnson’s innovative style and tone (informed by her own Moroccan vision-quest) transforms what could have been a conventional swashbuckler into a witty page-turner” –  KIRKUS
  • “Captivating energy and momentum” – PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
  • “The Tenth Gift is an enchanting, addictive novel” — Chick Speak
  • “I was enthralled from the first page to the last by this dramatic, exotic, and passionate tale that slips seamlessly through time. Jane Johnson’s wonderfully researched book leaves the fragrance of spices and the rustle of beautiful silks lingering in the mind with images of two exceptional women and the men in their lives” – Rosalind Laker, author of The Golden Tulip
  • “Exciting, intriguing, fascinating and also illuminating” – Rosalind Miles, author of I, Elizabeth and Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country
  • “Brings to life a forgotten part of England’s past: the capture of inhabitants of the southern coast by Barbary corsairs in the early sixteen hundreds. Rich with detail, wonderfully researched, this is a novel that will surprise and delight” – Gerri Brightwell, author of The Dark Lantern

Current Formats:

  • Hardback [UK & US]
  • Paperback [UK & US]

Published By:

  • Viking (UK)
  • Crown (US)
  • Penguin (UK paperback)
  • Three Rivers Press (US paperback)

Buy the book:

Non-English Language editions

Crossed Bones / The Tenth Gift will also be published in the following overseas markets (click the links, where available, to visit the publisher’s website for more information).