The Mayflower Marriage is due for publication in March 2020 in time for the 400th anniversary of the sailing of The Mayflower in 1620.

www.arminaldare.com

I’m always drawn to fiction inspired by real people and real events. It was inevitable that this book would tick so many boxes for my particular interests. The story of the Mayflower is one most of us already know, but this is a very special retelling of that time. The author places the characters into common situations that must have been experienced by the passengers and crew of the ship – hardship and loss, and the joy of small but life-saving successes.

Reading the novel, meeting a wonderful cast of characters who actually sailed on the Mayflower, brought the history alive. I found myself drawn to further reading – confirming the author had meticulously researched the smallest of detail. As hard as we know those first years were, we know that some survived – that there are descendants alive today. Realising that the author is a descendant, adds a special dimension to this book. If you enjoy your fiction mixed with fact, this is a book you are sure to enjoy.

by postcard genie

Being a slow reader I have never raced through a book so quickly, all 750 pages and 100 chapters, no doubt helped by the large print and short chapters, but mainly because each chapter heralded new subject matter and the story held my interest from beginning to end.

It is a story of a devoted couple who started their romance on a hazardous ocean voyage with the Pilgrim Fathers, built homes and grew crops on foreign soil,, formed relationships with an indigenous race, overcame the vicissitudes of community life and overbearing religious practices, and experienced all the heart aches that go with raising a loving family.

The narrative is based on historical fact,is written by a descendant of that family and gives an insight into the life of the first settlers in New England. It is story of adventure and love.

by John Strover

This book covers sixty years or more of the history of Plymouth Colony, filtered through the relationship of John and Priscilla Alden. Arriving on the Mayflower, they survive starvation and sickness in the early days of the colony, but still have to endure the in-fighting and intolerance of the governing fathers, be it in their dealings with the Indians or, later, the Quakers.

I found it fascinating as a piece of history, but I also really enjoyed the account of John and Priscilla's relationship as, in the course of a very long marriage, their consciences took them off in sometimes conflicting directions.

by Christine Walkley

Now that I have finished the book I feel quite lost, missing the lives of all the characters. Here's hoping Ms Dare will soon produce a sequel so I can return to the life of the new, New England and see how the next generations get on.

by J E Ferreter

I absolutely loved reading The Mayflower Marriage from beginning to end. I felt as though I was living with the settlers; I could hear the way they spoke and I experienced their hardships. It is a wonderful story of good people and their love, endurance, sadness and joy. It is one of those rare books that lives with you when you are reading it, you can't wait to return to it and you really miss it when it is finished.

by Mary