The Mayflower People: Triumphs & Tragedies

by Anna W. Hale

Overview

A riveting day-by-day account of the Mayflower crossing based on actual journals, public records, and letters.

Ages 10-14

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461706250
Publisher:	Rinehart, Roberts Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/01/1995
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

Editorial Reviews

This is a gripping account of the men, women, and children who sailed on the overloaded and ill-equipped Mayflower in September of the year 1620. A violent storm cracked the ship's beam and drove the Mayflower off course, forcing a landing at Plymouth. Then a mysterious illness wiped out nearly half the settlers. The colony's survival hung in the balance until the settlers' luck changed. They met a remarkable man named Squanto. Hale's fascinating narrative demonstrates how odd coincidences and twists of fate can radically change the course of history.

Children's Literature - Victoria Crenson

Hale follows the Separatists and the Adventurers, beginning with their August 1620 departure from Southampton, England, and ending with the death of Squanto in November 1622. She does a credible job in covering the reasons for the exodus and the major events that transpired, but the book's strength lies in the human details that transform historical names into real people. Readers learn, for example, that William Brewster hid out on board the "Mayflower" during its departure because he was a wanted man in England; Patricia Mullins (later Alden) had no interest in coming to America and begged her parents to stay behind; and a house-screw, which carpenter John Alden felt was a waste of space, eventually saved the travelers when the "Mayflower" sprang a leak en route. Frequent black-line illustrations and a diary format add to the appeal; the appended glossary, bibliography, and passenger list will be useful for report writers, too.

Kay Weisman