From the author of Emily’s House comes a “compelling, emotionally gripping”* novel of historical fiction—perfect for readers of America’s First Daughter.Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1676. Even before Mary Rowlandson was captured by Indians on a winter day of violence and terror, she sometimes found herself in conflict with her rigid Puritan community. Now, her home destroyed, her children lost to … home destroyed, her children lost to her, she has been sold into the service of a powerful woman tribal leader, made a pawn in the ongoing bloody struggle between English settlers and native people.
Battling cold, hunger, and exhaustion, Mary witnesses harrowing brutality but also unexpected kindness. To her confused surprise, she is drawn to her captors’ open and straightforward way of life, a feeling further complicated by her attraction to a generous, protective English-speaking native known as James Printer. All her life, Mary has been taught to fear God, submit to her husband, and abhor Indians. Now, having lived on the other side of the forest, she begins to question the edicts that have guided her, torn between the life she knew and the wisdom the natives have shown her.
Based on the compelling true narrative of Mary Rowlandson, Flight of the Sparrow is an evocative tale that transports the reader to a little-known time in early America and explores the real meanings of freedom, faith, and acceptance.
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A glimpse into a time period that our history books have neglected. Enjoyed reading it very much.
Based on a true story, Flight of the Sparrow was interesting because it really showed what life was like in both the Puritan villages and the Indian camps during a time when the early British settlers were claiming New England. Women in Puritan society had few rights and had a difficult life. However the “English” seemed to think it was perfectly acceptable to push the Indians out of the lands that were theirs for centuries. They treated them as savages with no rights at all. When Mary was captured, she learned of the freedoms Indians enjoyed, especially the women, and learned that, although the Indians were different, their lives were happy and she began to envy their way of life. This was a good story but seemed to drag. Although I wanted to stay with the book to see how it was resolved, it seemed to take a long time to get to the end. I enjoyed the author’s notes at the end about the actual people in the book and the similarities and differences of the actual events.
Even though it was pretty predictable, I enjoyed most of it.
Because this book is about the life of a woman who is Puritan in 17th Century colonial New England, it is not a happy story so much… although informative of the times. No spoiler here, but it becomes better when she’s taken captive. Her luck & her lot change… and I’ll say no more!
The book took me to colonial days when Puritans were in power and how repressed women were then. Great book!
Interesting concept, but the author seems to have decided to end it all quickly and conveniently.
It was interesting to see howthe captives adapted to the Indian way of life.
I want to say authentic and realistic, but with the Swiss cheese history of Mary’s own recollections and the popularity of embellishing captivity stories at that time, I can’t quite manage that. Nevertheless it stands solid as historical fiction with the documented events well portrayed. The characters, storyline, the savagery of the times – on both sides – and the horrible realism of slavery very well written.
This is the story of Mary Rowlandson, a colonial settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony, who was kidnapped by Native Americans. It is based on her account of the events.
Tragic, realistic and romantic are three adjectives that don’t seem to go together, but all three are true of this highly recommended book which is based on the true story of Mary Rowlandson. Along with her children and many of their neighbors, Mary was kidnapped by Native Americans in 17th-century Massachusetts. This novel paints a detailed and realistic picture of what she and the others endured, and also of the kindness they met with from many of their captors. I am a New Englander and a history nerd, and know enough about this subject to applaud author Amy Belding Brown’s accurate portrayal of the clash of cultures and worldviews that was at the root of so much suffering in colonial America. Whether Mary and her children did, ironically, feel freer as “Indian” captives than they did as obedient members of the Puritan community I can’t say. Likewise, I don’t know if the potential but unfulfilled romance is accurate. But both are well within the realm of probability IMHO and add an interesting spice to the story. The real Mary Rowlandson was the author of the 1682 “captivity narrative” — “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” — which was one of the first American best-sellers. As I said earlier, this novel is HIGHLY recommended, and I look forward to reading both Rowlandson’s original work and more novels by Amy Belding Brown..
A real eye opener into the world of the Puritans who were so rigid in their beliefs. What a tragedy the way the Indians were driven from their land. The book made history come alive through the individuals in the story.
It was a great book. I learned so much about that time in history.
Very interesting and well written
A good read based on a true story, perspective was relevant to today’s sensibilities.
how religion can distort the world
This book was very interesting in that it explored the Puritan’s of the 1600’s. It explained their customs and their way of life within the family and also their society. It demonstrated racist characteristics both within their society and the outside world, most of which remain in our current world. It makes the reader think and evaluate his/her own ideals and values.
This is a realistic interpretation of the background of Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan captured by native Americans in the late 17th century. Rowlandson’s captivity narrative is frequently studied in American lit classes; her account is filled with biblical references. But what if those were inserted by someone else to reinforce the English stereotypes of the Indians? An interesting and compassionate comparison of two widely different societies.
A must read for all Americans to truly understand where the negative attitudes toward Natives came from. It is a balanced account, but really explains the Native side of the struggles and gives a fairer view of their character and culture. They were not “savages”! The Christian Puritan attitudes explains a lot about where our current bigotry comes from.
I found this book very informative and if you like history, you will enjoy it.
I think this was the most tragic and realistic book I’ve ever read about the native Americans in the early 17th century. Riveting though. I couldn’t put it down. There are some wonderful moments in it though as the heronine finds her true love and is able to let go of her past