Thoughts on the Book

I finished this book about a month ago in Costa Rica, so forgive me if some points are inaccurate. First, I enjoyed the content quite a bit. She is spot on when she discusses our very limited knowledge of this time period in America and I felt learning about this topic alone made it worth reading. I also enjoyed the picture she creates of the early settlers; one can see their motivations, reservations, ambitions in fears very clearly through her descriptions of their lives.

On the other hand, I did not enjoy her writing style. It felt far too informal for me and made it a bit difficult to get going with the book. Also, her writing and descriptions give the characters a temporary feeling at times, yet they clearly lived in a time and place very different from our own. It would have added to the book if she illustrated the strict morality and bleakness a little more.

I'll post a little more later about what I saw as the connection with the American Identity.