Hook’s Tale: Being the Account of an Unjustly Villainized Pirate Written by Himself

Many are familiar with classic Peter Pan: the young boy who doesn’t want to grow up, meets Wendy, saves Tiger Lily, and feeds Captain Hook’s hand to a crocodile. Hook’s Tale tells a different story—a convincing account of how all of that was a lie.

James Cook is a misfit afflicted by a string of unfortunate circumstance and consequence. After his mother dies, he absconds from school to seek out estranged relatives, but instead, winds up on a ship as a deckhand. With a treasure map from his late father’s book in hand, here starts Hook’s origin story and an introduction to the beloved Neverland.

James is interesting, sympathetic, and the myths of Neverland are expertly woven together with a coming-of-age story. Wildly imagined, with Easter eggs for Peter Pan fans along the way, Hook’s Tale re-tells stories, such as who really saved Tiger Lily, how he first met Smee, why the crocodile truly developed a taste for Hook, and surprises about the Darlings. As a fan of the many adaptations of Peter Pan, this was highly entertaining and well-told, such that readers can look forward to guessing which “truths” were never really known until now.