For thousands of years two distinct cultures evolved unaware of one another’s existence. Separated by what one culture called The Great Sea and known to the other as the Atlantic Ocean, the course of each culture’s future changed irreversibly four hundred years ago. In 1620 the Mayflower delivered 102 refugees and fortune seekers from England to Cape Cod, where these two cultures first encountered one another. The English sought religious freedom and fresh financial opportunities. The Natives were recovering from the Great Dying of the past several years that left over two-thirds of their people in graves. How would they react to one another? How might their experience shape modern cross-cultural encounters?
Real People • Real Events • Plausible Conversations
Advance Praise
“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Kathryn Haueisen. It has been the beginning of healing for our people. We are honored in how she has reached out to the Pokanoket people and respected our history as she has written this book.”
—written by descendants of Massasoit Ousa Mequin
“In Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures, Haueisen gives the reader a sweeping panorama of the people of the Separatist Movement of the Church of England that led to the founding of the Plymouth Colony. A descendant of those pioneers of religious freedom, Haueisen narrates a historical saga that captures the heart, mind and faith of two peoples, the Indigenous Pokanoket and the English settlers, and their struggle to understand each other in a way that leads to mutual respect, friendship and peaceful cooperation. It is a must read for intercultural and interfaith understanding in the current age of religious and cultural pluralism. The reader will be caught up in the historical journey of William and Mary Brewster and the other settlers and their encounters with the Pokanoket nation that led to peaceful co-existence for several generations.”
—The Rev. Dr. Jay Alanís, Executive Director of the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest
“In recognition of its historic journey 400 years ago, Mayflower Chronicles explores not only the treacherous trek across the Atlantic, but the equally dramatic and surprising conflicts that occurred on both European and North American soil to make the arrival of the new settlers possible. Unlike most books written on what many will mistakenly believe is familiar history, author Haueisen has painstakingly researched and discovered (and documented) new information that includes enlightening and much needed representation of the Native American men and European women who played such pivotal roles in the early history of North America. Most impressive is her approach to the history. Instead of presenting dry, footnoted facts, she infuses the meticulous historic details in the course of engaging and suspenseful plots on both continents. Using dramatic license sparingly and conscientiously, she has brought new life to old history in a story that suggests that courage, risk, and cooperation not only brought the settlers to a new continent, but introduced the tenets that would become the foundation of the American spirit. Quite appropriately, she credits the Native Americans as much as the death-defying transatlantic travelers for establishing that spirit.”
—Roger Leslie, PhD, author, retired librarian
“Haueisen’s writing pulls the reader into the story, as if she were sitting next to William Brewster as he and his wife Mary make life-altering decisions driven by the desire to find religious freedom. If only all history were taught through stories as captivating as Ms. Haueisen’s, perhaps we’d be better educated and might even have more history buffs. She brings history to life in this gripping tale of the real story of the Mayflower. Even though I thought I knew how it ended, I found myself turning page after page in an effort to ensure that William Brewster and his colleagues survived. Impeccably researched, well-executed, and engaging, Mayflower Chronicles is as entertaining as it is educational.”
—Elizabeth B. Splaine, author of Devil’s Grace, Voice Teacher/Author/Narrator of audio Mayflower Chronicles
Reviews
“Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures is a historical novel based on the cross-cultural encounter between refugees of religious persecution who came to the New World in 1620, and the Pokanoket Native American inhabitants. Author Kathryn Brewster Haueisen consulted with modern-day Pokanoket people in the process of crafting this vivid, deftly written historical tale. A saga of survival, cooperation, and the struggle to understand others who belong to a drastically different background, Mayflower Chronicles is highly recommended for both personal and public library collections.” —Midwest Book Review
About the Author
KATHRYN BREWSTER HAUEISEN’S interest in the Mayflower started when her mother researched the family’s connection to the Brewster passengers. Her curiosity expanded when her daughter married into a family with Native American DNA. Using her skills as a trained journalist and a Lutheran theologian, she retells this famous story from the perspective of both the English religious refugees and the Natives who discovered them establishing a new community in Cape Cod. Her research included interviews with Native leaders and editors, as well as on-site research in England and Holland.
Author URL: https://howwisethen.com
SPECS
Mayflower Chronicles
by Kathryn Brewster Haueisen
Paperback Original
Historical Fiction / Colonial America / General Religions
384 pages | 6 x 9
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 9781950584598
Pub Date: October 12, 2020
Link to pre-order
E-book: $9.99 e-book
$29.99 audio
Distributor: IPG; also available through Baker & Taylor, Ingram, and other wholesalers.
Individuals can order online at Bookshop.org, or contact your local, independent bookstore.
Booksellers, libraries, colleges/universities, gift shops, etc., can order through IPG.
Independent Publishers Group
814 N. Franklin Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Order Placement: (800) 888-4741
Rights sold: All rights available.
Rights & publicity contact Dede Cummings, publisher: dede@greenwriterspress.com