Scan barcode
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Knowing little about the Mayflower and the Plymouth Colony, I was interested to learn more. History tells the stories written by educated men - we never hear about women, the lower classes, children. This book takes a murder and trial that happened in 1630 and fictionalizes relationships, filling in all the missing pieces.
The story is told primarily from three different perspectives: Alice Bradford, the wife of the governor, and John and Eleanor Billington, formerly indentured servants who are unhappy with the way the Colony is run. We finally get to see the lives of women and of lower class people, and it gives us a fresh look into our dusty recollections of the Pilgrims from high school American History classes.
An interesting story and a clever way to tell it. I really liked this.
The story is told primarily from three different perspectives: Alice Bradford, the wife of the governor, and John and Eleanor Billington, formerly indentured servants who are unhappy with the way the Colony is run. We finally get to see the lives of women and of lower class people, and it gives us a fresh look into our dusty recollections of the Pilgrims from high school American History classes.
An interesting story and a clever way to tell it. I really liked this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
More...