By Catherine Hughes
Publisher: Historium Press
Print Length: 280 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
When The Fortune lays anchor in Plimouth Harbor in 1621, Rachel Haverford believes she, like her fellow passengers, will be starting life anew. But the bleak and desolate landscape bears no resemblance to what they had been promised, and the supposed thriving community there turns out to be nothing more than a handful of crooked houses inhabited by a people twisted by their own fear.
Marked as a “stranger” by the devout settlers, Rachel struggles under the weight of their suspicion, especially when her gift for healing comes into question as people around her die and accusations of witchcraft begin to swirl. Rescued from danger by a Pokanoket warrior, Rachel soon discovers the line separating friend and enemy is blurred beyond what she had ever imagined.
Thorn of Plimouth traces one woman’s fight for survival and her journey to discover the true meaning of home.
There is something wonderfully satisfying about picking up a historical novel and discovering within the first few chapters that you are in the hands of an author who not only knows the history but also knows how to tell a compelling story. ‘Thorn of Plimouth’ by Catherine Hughes is one such novel.
Set in 1621, the novel takes the reader to the Plimouth Colony, a settlement still struggling to establish itself. Hunger and disease remain very real threats, while relations with the Indigenous peoples whose land the English have settled upon are far more complicated than many of the colonists are willing to acknowledge. Hughes captures this precarious world wonderfully, but the history never feels like a backdrop constructed around the characters. It is woven through their everyday lives, their fears, their beliefs and the decisions they make, giving the novel a tremendous sense of authenticity.
Rachel Haverford is travelling aboard the Fortune with her father when the novel begins. Their destination is Plimouth, where they hope to begin a new life amongst the settlers who had established the colony the previous year. Rachel is Welsh and deeply proud of her heritage, and she has inherited from her mother an extensive knowledge of herbs and healing. With her striking red hair, she is perhaps more noticeable than she would like to be, but Hughes refreshingly avoids using her appearance as shorthand for a fiery personality. Rachel is compassionate, thoughtful and gentle by nature, and it is her very ordinariness that makes her so easy to care about. She is not rebellious or confrontational; she is simply a young woman hoping to find her place in an unfamiliar community.
Hughes handles the growing suspicion surrounding Rachel particularly well. There is no sudden dramatic shift; instead, seemingly insignificant incidents are remembered and given meanings they did not originally possess. Once an unfavourable opinion has been formed, innocent actions can be viewed very differently, and Rachel’s instinct is not to fight against the hostility she encounters but to become more cautious. There is something particularly unsettling about this gradual change in atmosphere, for the reader can see how easily prejudice and suspicion can begin to feed upon one another.
The religious atmosphere of Plimouth is equally well portrayed. Hughes does not present the settlement merely as a collection of stern Puritans waiting for an opportunity to accuse somebody of wrongdoing. There is genuine fear behind much of the behaviour. These are people who have endured a catastrophic first winter, lost friends and family members, suffered illness and hunger and remain painfully aware that their survival is by no means assured. Their faith provides structure and reassurance, but it can also encourage suspicion of anything that appears to fall outside accepted boundaries. It is within this claustrophobic environment that personal animosity and religious fear can become a particularly dangerous combination.
Alongside Rachel’s story, Hughes introduces Keme, a Pauquunaukit warrior whose chapters provide a very different perspective upon the English arrival. Keme is one of the highlights of the novel. Through his eyes, the reader is reminded that the English have not arrived in an empty wilderness waiting to be inhabited. The forests, rivers and pathways have names, histories and memories, while the people who live there have their own political concerns, alliances and rivalries. Earlier encounters with Europeans have also left scars that cannot simply be ignored because the latest arrivals claim peaceful intentions.
Keme has good reason to distrust the English, and Hughes gives his feelings considerable weight. What he has experienced informs his understanding of the settlers and the danger their continued presence may represent, while his loyalty to his own people remains important. His knowledge of the English language also places him in an unusual position. Through Keme’s eyes, the reader sees a very different story. The English are not simply struggling to establish a new home; they have arrived on land that already belongs to people with their own homes, histories and way of life. Keme is a fascinating character in his own right, and his chapters add considerable depth to the narrative.
The historical detailing is, without question, one of the great strengths of ‘Thorn of Plimouth’. The voyage aboard the Fortune is brought vividly to life, as are the hardships facing the settlement after the ship’s arrival. Food shortages, illness, religious observance, medicine, childbirth, hunting, clothing and the practicalities of daily survival all help create a convincing sense of time and place. Hughes has clearly undertaken an enormous amount of research, but the novel never reads like a history lesson disguised as fiction. The detail supports the characters and their experiences, giving the narrative authenticity without overwhelming the story.
‘Thorn of Plimouth’ is a beautifully told historical novel that brings the uncertain world of 1621 vividly to life. Catherine Hughes has created memorable and wonderfully believable characters, while the exceptional historical detailing gives the story a compelling sense of authenticity. Thought-provoking, atmospheric and wonderfully engrossing, this is historical fiction at its very best.
The Coffee Pot Book Club
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