A review by eckermama
The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton

4.0

This was a beast of a book that I almost didn’t finish, but I’m so glad I did. Following the life of Elizabeth Fones in the 1600s, The Winthrop Woman blurs the line between historical fiction and documented fact. The amount and accuracy of historical detail is impressive and the foundation of the entire book. The story is steeped in the political turmoil of 17th century England, the wild and unstable settling of the American colonies, and inevitably sprinkled with bits of church history. It offers a larger look at history while somehow also zooming in on the lives of the real people who were affected by, and in some cases, actively shaped the history that we know. I kept my phone handy through most of the reading to look up people, details, and maps because I was fascinated with how the stories were told in this book. In places, the attempt to add allll the historical context does tend to bog the story down, but it recovers and keeps moving.

This is no cheery look at the past. It’s filled with hardships and heartaches, but also glimpses of courage, endurance, and joy. As a lover of historical fiction, I will definitely be reading more of Anya Seton’s work.