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For many of us, the thought of early America brings to mind
elementary school illustrations of prim and proper Pilgrims and savage Indians, dining
together on a meal of turkey and cranberries. But Charlotte Gordon brings the early days
of colonial America to life in her compelling biography of Puritan wife, mother, and
poet, Anne Bradstreet.
Born in England in 1612, Anne was the daughter of
Thomas Dudley, a prominent member of England’s Puritan society. Though women of that
time typically spent their lives in training to be good housewives, Anne was a sickly
child, and her doting father brought books about history, politics, and medicine to her.
When she was 10 years old, he even taught her to write—something that very few women ever
learned—because he knew she was destined to write poetry.
It was a
difficult time for Puritans, who dissented from the corrupt ways of the Catholic and
Anglican churches. Puritans were often persecuted for their beliefs. And though
persecution was often seen as a blessing for Puritans—a way to suffer for what they
believed to be the only true faith—they constantly lived in fear of being burned at the
stake, and they eventually decided to start a new godly community in the New
World.
In 1630, Anne made the trip to New England with her family and her
new husband, Simon Bradstreet. Though Anne secretly questioned the decision to leave
England, the decision was not hers to make. She was a dutiful wife and daughter—the
daughter of the colony’s newly-appointed deputy governor—so she quietly left her home
behind.
Despite the challenges Anne faced as a colonist, as the wife and
daughter of important colonial leaders, and as the mother of eight children, she
continued to read and study and write—and in 1650, she became the New World’s first
published poet.
Mistress Bradstreet is more than just the biography
of America’s first poet. While Gordon does a magnificent job of telling the story of
Bradstreet’s life—seamlessly joining facts, educated guesses, and Anne’s own words—she
also manages to portray Puritanism, colonial Massachusetts, and the role of seventeenth
century women in unforgettable detail. And Gordon’s effortless style makes the book both
captivating and uncomplicated.
You don’t have to be a poet or a history
buff to enjoy Mistress Bradstreet. But once you read this inspiring and
passionately researched biography, you’re guaranteed to have a greater appreciation for
both poetry and American history—and you’ll see early America as much more than just
Pilgrims and Indians and a turkey dinner.
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