Summary

The Preface began with a statement about the fictitious nature of the novel, which used historical facts as suggestion. It explained that the writer expected readers to accept that the similarities among Native Americans and Puritans made it possible for the fictitious relationships in the novel to exist.

Volume I, Chapter I began with William Fletcher under the care of his uncle, Sir William Fletcher, in Suffolk, England. As a knight of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir William denounced Fletcher’s interest in Puritanism, which rebelled against the Crown. He allowed a romance to blossom between Fletcher and his daughter, Alice. Upon Fletcher’s maturity, his uncle gave him the ultimatum to give up his religion to marry Alice. Choosing his integrity, Fletcher declined to marry Alice and agreed to move to New England with Winthrop. Alice tried to...