The Winthrop Woman: A Novel | Anya Seton

The Winthrop Woman: A Novel | Anya Seton | A city on the hill?

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The Winthrop Woman...

	The Winthrop Woman: A Novel Anya Seton Chicago Review Press, 2006 - 608 pages average customer review:based on 31 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

First published in 1958 and set in the early 17th century, this bestselling novel?and follow-up to Katherine?follows Elizabeth Winthrop, a courageous Puritan woman who finds herself at odds with her heritage and surroundings. A real historical figure, Elizabeth married into the family of Governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In those times of hardship, famine, and Indian attacks, many believed that the only way to prosper was through the strong, bigoted, and theocratic government that John Winthrop favored. Defying the government and her family, Elizabeth befriends famous heretic Anne Hutchinson, challenges an army captain, and dares to love as her heart commanded. Through Elizabeth?s three marriages, struggles with her passionate beliefs, and countless rebellions, a powerful tale of fortitude, humiliation, and ultimate triumph shines through.

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FABULOUS BOOK!!!!!!!!

This is one book that kept me curled up on the sofa turning the pages until I could not keep my eyes open. I actually had this book for a while (my grandmother gave it to me after she read it) and it is a very old copyright with yellowed, musty pages and a missing front cover. I entertained the idea of just putting it on the shelf and forgetting about it, but I am glad I read the first page. It was then that I realized it was about a real Puritan woman and her life. From then on I was hooked. I hated for the book to end. This book was my first introduction to Anya Seton and now she is a favorite author of mine!!!! This is a wonderful story of loss, love and endurance. Just goes to show..."You can't judge a book by it's cover....or absence of one!"

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A city on the hill?

This book is a fascinating take on the origins of colonial America. I normally do not read historical fiction set in the United States. I selected this book because of my admiration for Anya Seton's Katherine and Avalon. This heavily fact-centered novel starts out in England in the early 1600s. It centers on Elizabeth Fones, the unconventional neice of John Winthrop, Sr., the first Governor of the Massachussets Bay Colony and the author of the famous City on the Hill sermon. The novel traces the Winthrop family's decision to come to the colonies through Elizabeth's perspective and gives an honest view of the establishment of Winthrop's city on the hill.

The first thing that struck me was how extremely difficult the passage was to America and the blind faith the Puritans had in their decision to follow their leaders to the new world. Seton spends a great deal of time describing Elizabeth's voyage and it is truly horrifying how difficult and dangerous the trip was at the turn of the seventeenth century - a time when it was unknown how to prevent scurvy and when people would routinely die on the ships - not only from shipwreck.

Seton takes a critical view of the colony's repression. The Puritans sought to practice their own religion, free from the Anglican church, but it becomes clear that there was a lot of in-fighting amongst how exactly to interpret the bible. This infighting and bigotry inhibited freedom moreso than England, which they were trying to escape. This point is particularly poignant with respect to Anne Hutchinson.

Seton spends a great deal of time discussing the Native Americans. I was surprised at how sharply critical Seton was of the English and Dutch treatment of the Native Americans, given the fact that the novel was written in the early 1950s. However, after reading the novel, I find myself looking out at my surroundings in America with an extra sharp appreciation of the costs that were paid in wresting control of this territory from the Native Americans.

Because Elizabeth is forced to leave the Massachussets bay colony, Seton also spent time discussing the international politics of the era and the territorial competition between the Dutch and the English.

I highly recommend this novel to any fan of historical fiction. This novel strongly follows fact and is largely derived from the Winthrop Papers and other matters of historical record, given the main character's connection to the famed Winthrop family. If you are originally from the Boston, Connecticut, or New York area, it is particularly fascinating to attempt to imagine what used to be and what could have been, had colonialism not taken root in America.

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A woman who dared to be true....

After reading and loving Anya Seton's "Katherine," I was eager to read "The Winthrop Woman." Ms. Seton does not disappoint with this novel which is full of adventure, history, and romance.

"The Winthrop Woman" presents a fictional account of a real woman by the name of Elizabeth Fones. Born in England in 1610 to the sister of the famous John Winthrop, Elizabeth was a rebellious child, despite her Puritan up-bringing. As Elizabeth reaches womanhood, she becomes a constant source of embarrassment to her uncle, John Winthrop, as she finds herself embroiled in scandal after scandal- including hasty marriages, sex out of wedlock and associating with religious outcasts.

The reader accompanies Elizabeth as she and her family embark on a harrowing journey from England, across the Atlantic, to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where John Winthrop becomes the first Governor. Anya Seton presents an accurate account of the dangers that faced the Mass. Bay Colony settlers and the sacrifices they had to make along the way just to survive. She also does a great job weaving into the storyline the settler's maltreatment of the local Indian tribes and the religious persecution of non-Puritan and Papist settlers.

This is a great coming-of-age story with accurate historical detail and, as the book jacket so aptly states, is an inspiring portrayal of "fortitude, humiliation, and the ultimate triumph of a Puritan woman who dared to live and love as her heart commanded."

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Vibrant and Rich

A vibrant, rich, epic piece of historical fiction about Puritan England and the Massachusetts colonies of the 1600's. The author's factual background is well researched and documented, but the highlight is the poignant story of the memorable, beautiful, strong-willed Elizabeth Winthrop. The writing was abundant, the characters were so real with their weaknesses and strengths revealed, and the book ended with a rich feeling of hope and peaceful resolution. I loved this book and recommend it to those with an interest in historical fiction, strong female characters, or anyone actually!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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