Rebel Puritan: A Scandalous Life
Herodias Long, a survivor of the 1636 bubonic plague epidemic that killed her father, believes that she is lucky to be alive. When she is sent to live with her aunt in London, a handsome stranger captures her heart as well as her hand. After their marriage they move to New England, where they settle in Massachusetts. Casting off Puritan repression, they move on to start their new home in Rhode Island. Although she has escaped one form of enslavement, Herodias still isn’t free. Everything in her life, including her children, belongs to her husband, whose jealousy runs rampant. Now she finds that it is easier to marry a handsome stranger than to actually put up with him. As she struggles with the marriage, she finds that there is no quick escape.
This is an enthralling book; the way Butler blends historical fact with fiction is breathtaking. The author’s connection to the story adds a lovely clarity to the writing. Very fluid, the words seem to flow right off the page, as you become more engrossed in Herodias’s story. This is one book that you will not want to put down. This is the first book in the author’s Scandalous Life series, and it’s off to a good start.
