Bound: A Novel (Hardcover)

by Sally Gunning (Author)
Key Phrases: widow cried, bed tick, keeping room, Alice Cole, Widow Berry, Widow Hall (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In Gunning's latest colonial page-turner, seven-year-old Alice Cole travels with her family from 1756 London to the New World, dreaming of a big house in Philadelphia and a new life. Her mother and brothers die on board and are buried at sea; the ship docks in Boston rather than Philadelphia; there, her father indentures her for 11 years without a backward glance. Alice does housework for the family of Simeon Morton of Dedham, in whose house she is treated almost like a second daughter, becoming constant companion to 10-year-old Abigail, or Nabby. When Nabby marries Emery Verley of Medfield, Alice's indenture is signed over to him, but the Verley household turns out to be an abusive one. Alice flees and winds up on Satucket, Cape Cod, where Lyddie Berry, heroine of Gunning's The Widow's War, and her companion, the lawyer Eben Freeman, give her shelter and a job. Alice works hard for them, and they grow fond of her, but when Alice discovers she's pregnant, she embarks on a journey of deceit and lies, one that comes to a bitter end. Gunning weaves a horrifying, spellbinding story of colonial indenture's cruelties and a meditation on the meaning of freedom. (Apr.)
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Review
"A well written, thought provoking mid-eighteenth century thriller." -- Midwest Book Review

"Heartrending. . . . Gunning’s vibrant portrayal shows that the pursuit of happiness is not for the faint of heart." -- Boston Globe

"Historical fiction at its best." -- Library Journal, starred review

"Skillfully employing the language, imagination and character that literary fiction demands, [Gunning] illuminates a fascinating moment in our past." -- Washington Book World

"This book, eloquently written and exhaustively researched, is a warning along the lines of The Handmaid’s Tale, and just as necessary a read." -- Feminist Review on BOUND

"[A] colonial page-turner...horrifying, spellbinding." -- Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061240257
• ISBN-13: 978-0061240256
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #542,282 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good read from Sally Gunning, April 1, 2008

By	Nancy J. Mumford "njm1958" (W. Barnstable, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Despite some characters that could have been fleshed out more - and I really wanted to know more about them! - this was a very good piece of historical fiction set in the 18th century in Boston and on Cape Cod. Being a Cape Codder myself, I very much enjoyed the local flavor of the story but even without the local connection I think you will like this page turner of a story. Recommended!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sally Gunning does it again, January 24, 2009

By	Mimi - See all my reviews

Following on her first book about life in 18th century Brewster, Cape Cod, "The Widow's War", Ms. Gunning has produced another even more thoughtful and thought-provoking book in the same venue. This book has more historical content but most importantly, the author continues to be able to see, in what seems to be a surprisingly authentic tour de force, into the minds of her 18th century characters. She never makes the mistake of applying 20th or 21st centuray mind-sets and reactions to her population. Ms. Gunning manages to be very tough--this is not chick lit--on the other hand she can make us believe in and care for her creations.....

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hoping for a third novel, July 22, 2008

By	Twocapes (Florida/Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

I picked up this book at my local (Cape Cod) library because it was about the area that I have lived in for most of my life. The librarian told me about the previous book, "The Widow's War". When I asked if I needed to read that first she said I did not. I do feel now after reading "Bound" first and then "The Widow's War" that it would be best to read them in order. They are both wonderfully written and books that I did not want to put down. I travel the same roads and locations every day that are in the books and now find myself looking for the "Widow Berry" and many of the other landmarks. Hope to meet the author at one of her local book signings.