Fantasticly written for young children with very suspenseful chapter endings. ( )

This was an old favorite from my childhood, so when I recently saw a copy on the shelves at a thrift store, I immediately snagged it. I completed my reread, and I was not disappointed, feeling it held up well as an adult read.

The authors tell the story of a group of English who wish to worship God as they believe, not be forced into a "state" church, and suffer persecution including imprisonment for it. Their journeys are told in a fictionalized account based upon actual records, and in a young adult friendly manner: deaths are mentioned, and there are some accounts of skirmishes, but nothing graphic.

It's well-written and worth a read by anyone interested in a fuller account of the Pilgrims, the kinder, gentler and Native American friendly settlers who are not to be confused with the Puritans, those of The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible fame. ( )

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