Mayflower: A Highly Engaging Look into the Lives of the Pilgrims of Plymouth

               When my history class was assigned to read two chapters from Nathaniel Philbrick’s historical novel Mayflower  (The two chapters being The Heart of Winter and In a Dark and Dismal Swamp), I was not sure if I would like, appreciate, or even understand the reading. We were assigned several pages each night over the course of three nights, with a literature circle discussing the reading on the Friday of the week in class.

                Throughout the course of the week, as I was reading the chapters, I was not sure if I enjoyed the book. I recognized that Philbrick was a very effective storyteller, in that he told the tale of the Pilgrims in a manner which makes the reading seem more like fiction than truth. I don’t know why I didn’t like the reading then, perhaps it had to do with the almost tedious amount of detail that the author put in to explain even the most trivial things, for example Samoset’s approach to the colony from the hill. However, now that the reading has been completed and discussed in class with others, I have had a chance to think about what I read. I understand now that the author went to great extents to make the story very exciting, and effectively did so. I realize that I do in fact like to learn about the first settlers of Massachusetts, as they were the ones who built the foundation of the country that we know today. I think that the key topics which need to be understood when reading this book are those involving death and hardship surrounding the settlers. Once you understand why this is such a focus (it was more than just a problem, it was the pilgrims’ lifestyle) you will be able to appreciate why the author spent so much time talking about it. Overall, I think everyone capable of feeling empathy for people who lived in a different time should have a go at Mayflower. The only thing to remember is that the author doesn’t just discuss death because he feels like it.