The Mayflower Bride

February 1, 2018

Mary Elizabeth Chapman is loath to leave the only home she has ever known, but the religious strictures of England have become more than her separatist father can bear. In 1620, they board the Speedwell for the New World. Her future husband, carpenter William Lytton, who has been hired to spy on the new colony, travels on the Mayflower. What they face when they land are harsh realities and hardships of life in a wild and untamed land. VERDICT Adventure and espionage feature prominently in this dynamic new historical series from Woodhouse (Out of the Ashes), which tracks one family from the inaugural voyage of the Mayflower through the end of World War II. Book clubs and genealogy buffs will delight in seeing how the history rolls out with each succeeding generation.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 12, 2018
In this exciting first entry in Barbour’s planned 18-book multi-author Daughters of the Mayflower series, Woodhouse tells the thrilling story of the Mayflower’s journey to North America in 1620. Mary Elizabeth Chapman signs up to travel with a Protestant separatist group leaving England in order to practice their faith without persecution. Upon boarding the Mayflower, she meets the mysterious carpenter William Lytton, who seeks a new life without the hindrances of his past. But when a man from the Virginia Company asks William to become an agent for the company in the New World by scouting out potential business ventures, his allegiance to the religious exiles is tested. The ship sets sail from Plymouth, England and continues for two stormy months across the Atlantic. Though Woodhouse doesn’t hide the difficulties and tragedies of the historic voyage, the simmering romance between Mary Elizabeth and William alleviates the claustrophobia of shipboard life and dire human conditions. Faith elements are strong as Mary Elizabeth doubts her faith and William’s faith is born. With this action-packed tale, Woodhouse properly kicks off this series centered on major events of American history. Agency: Steve Laube Agency.