Written and Illustrated by: P.J Lynch Candlewick Press September 2015
βThe work in the fields was backbreaking. Squanto watched. He said it was ‘womanβs work’.β
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Synopsis (From Publisher):
At a young age, John Howland learned what it meant to take advantage of an opportunity. Leaving the docks of London on the Mayflower as an indentured servant to Pilgrim John Carver, John Howland little knew that he was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. By his great good fortune, John survived falling overboard on the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, and he earned his keep ashore by helping to scout a safe harbor and landing site for his bedraggled and ill shipmates. Would his luck continue to hold amid the dangers and adversity of the Pilgrimsβ lives in New England? John Howlandβs tale is masterfully told in his own voice, bringing an immediacy and young perspective to the oft-told Pilgrimsβ story. P.J. Lynch captures this pivotal moment in American history in precise and exquisite detail, from the light on the froth of a breaking wave to the questioning voice of a teen in a new world..
CWR Review:
This is the thrilling and adventurous retelling of the life of John Howland, who sailed upon the Mayflower to the New World as a servant. He was young, committed, faithful, and determined. He had plans of returning to England when his time of servitude had ceased with hopes it would lead to the building of his fortune. En route to Virginia, amid rough seas, he was knocked overboard by a wave into the icy Atlantic. Thankfully, a fellow sailor saw his mishap and sent a rope down to himβ¦his young life was spared. This was only half the story. I am being serious; this is the halfway point of the book. The remainder of the story describes the Pilgrimβs first year in the New World: sickness, run-ins with cautious natives, and the establishment of Plymouth as well as the first thanksgiving. In the end, John Howland is left with the choice to either return to England or remain in Plymouth, which will he choose?
This historical fiction book is of the best kind out there. Full of details told against the backdrop of an invigorating, page-turning narrative, this is a perfect story to read around the Thanksgiving holiday or as a supplement to Colonial America studies. Like Laura Ingallβs Wilderβs beloved Little House series, this story shows how the new arrivals survived and endured a hard winter and a new land. Lynch created characters that were unapologetically trusting in a sovereign God and His providence.
The illustrations are breathtaking, everyβ¦singleβ¦one. Done in watercolor and gouache, Lynch does a beautiful job of combing all the elements that make a great story- excellent and challenging vocabulary, a riveting and suspenseful storyline, illustrations you’ll stare and stare at before and after you read each page, and a storyline that teaches history just as well as it entertains.
Truly a “Living Book”, Educational yet entertaining, Worthy of your shelf spaceβ¦get yours here.
Themes: colonial America, the mayflower, pilgrims, Thanksgiving, Squanto, American colonies
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