Well, here's a fabulous modern take on a dusty old story--highlights of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's settlement and early decades. John Cotton, John Winthrop, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson . . . who'd have thought they could be fun to read about??? Sarah Vowell takes their personalities and texts to heart, making the reader feel that what these folks did in early New England should still matter to Americans. In the process, she revives our interest in the very Puritans she is often vilifying. Without a doubt, she's tough on some of them---John Cotton and John Winthrop in particular. And she deliberately, indeed gleefully, breaks the cardinal rule of historical thinking and writing: She evaluates the thought world, events, and persons of the past by the values, standards, and attitudes of the present. But taking the long-dead so seriously ended up charming this reader into thinking that, yes, you can evaluate the past on your own terms, and yes, it still matters. Even when one disagrees with Vowell, a nod must be made in the direction of her marvelous storytelling ability and her boundless enthusiasm for engaging with history. Using letters, decrees, journals, and diaries, and published accounts, she brings to life the voices of the Puritans--and adds her voice to the story.