Customer Reviews

The Mayflower Maid

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first volume of The New World Trilogy by Sue Allan, The Mayflower Maid tells the suspenseful, page turning tale of a little known Mayflower passenger, the maidservant of the Carver family. Her story will break your heart, but will open your eyes to the plight of the Pilgrim Fathers, whose destiny is eventually intertwined with hers.

Midway through the novel the maid's story intersects with that of the Midland Separatists. Though distinctly different, in many ways her history mirrors theirs as she experiences betrayal and abuse, thwarted plans and shattered dreams. For instance, her troubled beginnings foreshadow the Pilgrims' persecution by church and crown, which compels them to flee from their homeland.

In these pages the tumultuous and dangerous events of the English Reformation play out in the lives of three dimensional, often real people. Appearing throughout are characters and descriptions worthy of a poet and painter, which in fact the author is.

Billed as a mystery, the Pilgrim story comes to life as you have never before heard.

The sequels to this book are Jamestown Woman and Restoration Lady. A "prequel" is Tudor Rose.

I had the pleasure of reading a review copy of this novel sent to a friend and was completely stunned by its sheer story telling elegance of a tale I thought I pretty much knew and, to be brutally frank, had previously considerted to be dull and boring beyond redemption.
The Mayflower Maid sets out and accomplishes, in my humble opinion, to retell the complete story of the Pilgrim Fathers persecution and eventual escape from the religious intolerance of 1600's England. The twist this time is that it is beautifully told through the life of a common maid servant named Dorothy and her relationship with one of the Separatist followers. An historical romance? No, I would not call it that, though indeed a love story of sorts runs through it. To describe it as mere 'romance' novel seriously undermines the thought provoking, honestly dark tale this historical adventure undoubtably is. I enjoyed it greatly.