Exiled: The Story of John Lathrop 1584-1653

by Helene Holt

Biographical Novel. Story of an ancestor of President George W. Bush. Recreates the dark days of 17th century England when a man could be drawn and quartered alive for no more innocuous offense than standing on a corner and preaching his views. When John Lathrop immersed himself in the battle against tyranny, a battle which had already claimed the lives of countless non-conformists before him, he had little reason to believe that his efforts would result in anything except increasing hardship and trauma for himself and his family. A respected gentleman, scholar, husband, and father of five sons and three daughters, Lathrop was compelled to ask the question: Should he take a stand for freedom of conscience, even if it may cost his life and reduce his family to the most wretched conditions? A recurrent theme throughout the story is that one must not be neutral or indifferent in the face of despotism or unabated power wielded by puppets in government, for neutrality is the great sympathizer and nurturer of evil. John Lathrop is not only the direct forefather of President George W. Bush, he is the direct forefather of three other presidents, other major political figures, university presidents, churchmen, inventors, etc. Appendices in the book give a genealogical listing of prominent descendants, other historical facts and data leading up to the founding of America. Exiled, The Story of John Lathrop is not just another story. An encyclical letter written by Leo XIII in the 19th Century stated that when a nation starts to fail, its people need to be reminded of the principles and values upon which it was founded. That is essential if that nation is to be saved at all. While America's youth are manifesting an unprecedented moral decline and an unequaled ignorance of the values which propelled their country to greatness, parents, educators, and patriots are desperately seeking ways to reverse these frightening trends. Exiled has the potential to put youth and people of all ages in touch with their roots and to awaken in them a consciousness of the important and noble principles that shaped the history of the founding of America. Exiled brings to life the intense drama that set the stage and framed American thought and history for generations.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Religion, Inspirational, Book Club, Historical

228 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1987

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about John Lathrop (1584-1653) who fought in England for what became the underpinnings of our First Amendment freedom of religion. This account really made me grateful for those who stood up for religious freedom, freedom of conscience, right to assemble, etc., phenomenal story, but certainly not the best writing (including several typos). Additional reading that was recommended by the author is Lathrop's biography--John Lathrop: Arrival in America and Family Tree (includes only printed version of all known pages of Lothropp’s private journal).

One of my favorite quotes from the book (Lathrop refusing to be loyal to the Church of England): “Neutrality is abhorrent; in invisible, creeping plague that spreads apathy and cynicism in all who embrace it. Conscience is the antidote. A man who is not true to his conscience is fallen below the animals. Conscience is the root and preservative of what we believe. Conscience is the essence of how Christ explained the relationship ‘twixt God and the individual man. Conscience is the light of Christ; neutrality the blurry mist of the devil.”

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grandfather (my mom's stepfather) is a descendant of John Lathrop, so I've always been interesting in his story. I didn't realize this was written as a narrative nonfiction. I wasn't thrilled about that, as it makes it hard to distinguish the facts from the embellishments. I was hoping for something strictly factual.

The trials and time in prison were fascinating, as it showed what people had to endure and what they were willing to endure for freedom of conscience. I believe this is the most fundamental and critical human right. The ending was very suspenseful. Overall, it was an interesting look at that time period of English history.

It's an easy read, though it does have an LDS slant at times. The punctuation is atrocious -- tons of missing quote marks and periods as well as comma confusion. (WHY IS THERE A COMMA BETWEEN YOUR SUBJECT AND ITS VERB?? AARRRGH!) There are also a lot of amateurish usage errors, like using 'entitled' to mean 'titled' and 'comprise' to mean 'compose' and so on.

[Jenifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember who recommended this book to me a long time ago. The writing was not terrific but I did love reading about this era of religious reformation.

"These were the formidable men and women of conscience, Puritans, who, in the words of Samuel E. Morison, 'hewed liberty, democracy, humanitarianism, and universal education out of the black forest of feudal Europe and the American wilderness.' pp.225

"Whether or not we acknowledge the Puritans as forerunners of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and United States Constitution would not matter to them. That we have the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and Constitution would." pp.229

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hard for me read at times, but history is not easy to read. But how important it is to remember history, and live and learn from the past. Helene Holt did a wonderful job at making the characters come to life. I cried and my heart hurt for the injustices and hurt that these people went through, for their love of God and freedom. We, I, take so much for granted! I am not a descendant of Rev John Lathrop, but I am to Rev. Peter Buckley who was a contemporary to John Lathrop. I couldn't help but think of him and the sacrifices he made standing for what he believed in. Peter Buckley settled Concord Massachuetts, what a legacy! So glad I read this book!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I was able to gain more insight into the life of John Lathrop and his family. I recently found out that he is my 10th great grandfather, and I couldn't be more proud of the man he was. Now I know where I get my strong belief and desire for a person's ability to live according to the dictates of their own conscience. I'm so thankful to him and many others like him who suffered for that right.

[Andrea M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The powerful takeaway lesson from this book that is still applicable today is about neutrality.
"Neutrality is a Trojan horse, professing some advantage, but being inherently full of danger."
"How can neutrality possibly be dangerous when it keeps you from crossing paths with the Bishop and King?"
"First you must realize that neutrality isn't neutral at all. It always favors the despot -- adds to his power." Lathropp's voice was patient and firm.
"But then it isn't neutrality! Neutrality favors nothing and no one."
"That is the great myth!"
"If a man steals from his neighbor," said Lathropp, "is his act good or evil?"
"Obviously evil."
"What would you do about such a man?"
"I'd send for a watchman."
"And if the thief happened to be your employer, then what?"
"I have no employer!" Hyrum reminded Lathropp with indignation, answering Lathropp's question as though the answer were obvious to the most imbecilic. "I'd give him over to the authorities."
"What if you were to decide to remain neutral -- to keep your relationship intact?"
"Someone else might give him over."
"What if no one else did? What if he's so powerful, everyone decides to be neutral?"
"Then I suppose he'd go on stealing from his neighbor."
"Exactly. Neutrality refuses to keep evil in check. Evil unchecked will destroy good. That's why neutrality is so dangerous. Moreover, real neutrality refuses even to identify evil as evil, in which case there is no activity to promote good as well as no activity to prevent evil. By default, neutrality is the great sympathizer and nurturer of evil."
"The most deadly enemy of righteousness is not evil, it's neutrality." p. 14-15

If you only read this dialogue, you will have received a timely and relevant lessons to today's political climate. This book begins with a fairly graphic description of torture when a person is put in the stocks for religious belief and has their ears cut off, etc. The reader realizes right away how great the stakes are for someone like John Lathropp to hold firm on his convictions.

Most people thought it was hopeless to fight against the Bishop because of his power to kill or silence all dissent. But in the end, it is the turning of the tide of popular opinion which ends the Bishop's power. This book shows by this story (and the historical facts that came after this story) that the real power is in the hands of the people. As long as the people are divided and cannot agree, they have no power. As soon as they all agree that "this has gone on long enough" (however "this" is defined) then the ability of the leaders to control the situation ends. Laud ends up receiving the same fate as he dished out to others.

The author provides multiple descriptions of deep and abiding romantic love without describing sexuality. At first I thought it was corny but then I realized that most authors only describe sexual desire and not deep and abiding love. The final act of love is when John Lathropp's family is given passage on a boat to the new world by the act of one of his parishioners giving up their seat on the same boat. This sacrifice proved to save the life of Lathropp and lose the life of the parishioner. I don't think anyone who has witnessed this kind of sacrifice will ever be the same.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a little hard to start and get into with the way that it is written. It was recommended to me by my mother who informed me that Rev John Lathrop is on our family tree. Once I got into the book and got used to the writing it was then hard to put down. "Exiled" is full of factual information and true accounts of John Lathrop's life put into a readable format that is both enjoyable and interesting. I'd highly recommend it to others who are interested in his life or even for a bit of light reading.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter had to read this book for school, I decided to pick it up too. As I began reading, I realized that it is a book I wouldn't normally pick up. However, I kept reading, and before long, I was hooked. I loved reading the story of John and how he stood up for religious freedom. It made me extremely grateful for all the brave people who have done hard things in the past to give us our freedoms today. This is definitely a story worth reading!

[Chappyfamily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! I love learning about the history of gaining our freedoms, I love learning about the sacrifices made by my own great grandparents. I love that the actually real story is in the back of the book too.

[Armatstorage · Rating 4 out of 5]

228 pages. I skimmed the book. It is sometimes difficult to follow. John Lathrop seems like a very great man. He's a good example to learn from about enduring persecution.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novelization is somewhat awkward but the facts themselves are worth the read. Persecution meant incredible suffering for those seeking freedom of conscience at this time.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, "Novelized Biography" based on research and historical records regarding Reverend John Lathrop (Lothropp) and those close to him. He was a minister within the Church of England who became a leader in the Independent Church movement. Lathrop believed men should have freedom to worship according to their conscience. Though he and his family were persecuted for their beliefs, they persisted and suffered many privations including John Lathrop's imprisonment and torture for over two years, his wife's death, starving children and more. He was eventually exiled by Archbishop William Laud and emigrated to Plymouth Colony, Massachussetts.

His large posterity greatly influenced the development of America. "Professional genealogists estimate that the number of Lothropp descendants in America today is in the neighborhood of 20 million" and includes prominent men and women in both secular and religious spheres and more prominent descendents "who inter-relate by blood or marriage".

This is a treasure of a book listing resources for further research of John Lathrop, especially for his descendents. Excellent appendicies, including brief biographical sketches of some of his descendents, detailed timeline of the Lothropp family, information on the family foundation, genealogy, and "A Selected Bibliography" for further reading and study.

Holt quotes a keynote speaker at The Lothropp Family Foundation reunion, William Stevens Taber, Jr., most appropriately, in his description of John Lathrop; "He was a man with no ambition to shape history and no desire to rebel against authority, but his destiny would compel him into prominance and his unwilling genius would come to shape the religious and secular life of England and America...(that his descendants should) take no satisfaction in the deeds of our ancestors, but to redouble our own efforts to make this world a better place..." A fitting finish and a good place to start.

[Sherrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a cheery book but one that gives us a good insight into the lives of early reformers in England. John Lothrop was a Separatist which means he was different from Puritans who just wanted to reform the church. He wanted to just have the right to start his own church after his own conscience. It was a time of great unrest in England in part due to religious persecution by the Archbishop of Canterbury and King Charles I. Eventually they were both beheaded and England went into a Commonwealth for several years under Oliver Cromwell. This man and many others were persecuted, imprisoned, and tortured in the name of religion. The most significant thing to me is that he was an ancestor to Joseph Smith and several other officials in the Mormon Church. I remember hearing that Joseph Snmith had an ancestor who said he believed that through his line a prophet would rise up and bring the true gospel to light.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect book to read before Thanksgiving. I knew about the pilgrims coming to America because of religious persecution, but after reading this book I feel like that knowledge has a new level of depth and understanding. The fictionalized biography by itself was unimpressive, but combined with the brief chronological list of events in the back and the list of famous people who are descendants of Lathrop, the entire book itself becomes an incredible resource. The author's brief description of the political events shaped by King Henry the VIII, and Queen Elizabeth that led to the persecution of those who wanted to follow their conscience in matters of religion was very informative. There is a conversation between Lathrop and his friend Hyrum on the myth of neutrality near the beginning of the book that is nothing short of a gold nugget.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a biography written like a novel - there were times that I forgot I was reading a true story. The story is regarding John Lathrop, a religious "independent" during 1600's England where the Church of England ruled. It was heart breaking the cruelty he and others faced as they tried to worship their God in their own way. By the time John finally left England for America he had lost much. It saddens me to know of all the people who left their homes in search of religious freedom when I know similar prejudices and cruel behavior continued in America - and still does at a lesser degree.People like John Lathrop paved the way for those who would follow and served his God until the end. This is a very interesting book that those of all religions would enjoy.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband received this book as a gift from his mother in 2006, and I have intended to read it for a long time. It tells the story of religious reformer John Lathrop, one of my husband's ancestors. I was disappointed in the beginning to find that it was not a serious biography as I had believed, but a work of historical fiction. Holt does seem to make good use of sources, even quoting extensively from English court records. Still, the fact that she attributed very specific feelings to individuals (for instance, portraying Lathrop's wife as unsupportive of his reforming efforts when there is no evidence to indicate this was the case) made me wary of trusting Holt's interpretation. I would rather have read an academic biography of John Lathrop.

3.5 stars.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of John Lathrop. Who is that, you say? John Lathrop lived in England at a time when there was no religious freedom. He was a minister who didn't believe that the Church of England should have that kind of power, and he didn't believe all it precepts. He met in secrecy to worship God as he saw fit. He was caught and convicted, but never backed down in his quest for religious freedom.

John Lathrop is the common ancestor of MANY of the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is also a common ancestor of MANY of the Founding Fathers of the USA. It's not hard to see where those brave leaders got so much of their conviction and determination.

The writing style wasn't the most exciting I've read, but the content was.

[Veneese Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the inhumanities to mankind that are done in the realm of religion--not much religious freedom in this story. A terrible price is paid by John Lathrop and his family to worship as they chose. At least Rev. Lathrop lived to continue preaching the gospel as he believed it to be true; whereas others gave their life for their beliefs. Ms. Holt highlighted some Great Britain royal families and their murderous efforts to curtail the Separatists' efforts. I am grateful for the martyrs who stood up to anarchy.

[Tamra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good subject matter and there were interesting things to learn, I just wish the writing was a little more enjoyable. And the love scene? Oh, the painfully embarrassing love scene, (which I believe was cut and copied straight out of a Harlequin Romance novel)never, ever should have been written. I couldn't decide if I should cringe or laugh hysterically while I read it.
Anyway, I could recommend it for nothing more than education purposes but, I'll leave that up for you to decide.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit that I wasn't excited to read this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Although I'm sure a lot of the story is fictionalized, I really enjoyed reading it all the same. John Lothropp had such commitment to his convictions and faith. It makes me question my own beliefs and whether I'd be willing to suffer/stand up for them as he did. Truly inspiring! It would be great if the author wrote a sequel about his experiences in America, too.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really made me think about and be grateful for the freedom of religion that we enjoy thanks to men like this! He's one of my great great great (?) grandfathers and the forefather of many others (maybe you too!). Not very long which is a plus for me right now (though now I'd like more info where it left off).

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember Dr. Black talking about this guy in a church history. I found this book at DI. It was different than I expected. Rather than being written as a traditional biography, the author wrote in a narrative style. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone. It made me realize how important it really was to the Puritans who came to America to have freedom of worship.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lot easier to read than American Jezebel was. First off, it is only about half the size and ends when he leaves England--so does not follow him to the States. It is appalling what people had to go through for freedom of religion. When you realize that they did it for us, it becomes almost miraculous. Enjoyable book.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It certainly made me grateful for the freedoms that we have here in America in this day and age and also helped me to understand why the founding forefathers included not only freedom of religion, but also freedom of speech, press, and for innocent until proven guilty. It was a historical fiction that not only told me a story about history but also really made me think!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me interested and enlightened me as to what the persecution of the puritans was like in the 1600's.

I did keep wondering how much of the story was fact and how much was historical fiction. I think the author stuck as closely to facts as she could but I'm sure personal interactions had to be created.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story. Nice historical fiction. With the emphasis on the Fiction. I really did enjoy reading it. It is a well written story. I just wanted it to be something it was not. It did give some good background on Lathrop and his beliefs and his legal trials in Great Britain. I wanted more of that historical context and what happened to Lathrop after being exiled.

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4 stars is not so much for writing (which dragged at times, and was somewhat choppy), but for the information that was imparted. I had very little knowledge of that time in England and I was very impressed with what so many people went through in order to have free will in regards to religion. I was also pleased that it's written in a story format so it was much more enjoyable to read.

[Amy Whitacre]

I read this book because I am a descendant of John Lathrop's. It was an eye opening experience for me to see and hear what he had to go through in order to be able to worship in the way he wanted to without worrying about persecution. I have always been interested in my family history and this was yet another great read for me going further back into my ancestry.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the introduction quote.

"The most cruel exile comes, not from being forced to leave one's country, but from standing alone in defense of principle while yet surrounded by one's countrymen."

Well worth reading, what an amazing example of someone who lived and let live. John Lathrop seems to be a truly unique individual.

[Melissa T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story! It's a fictionalized (but well-researched) story about a real person. Because it's so well-researched, much of it is based on fact, but it reads like a novel. The best of both worlds! It's inspiring to see all this man went through for future generations.