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Massachusetts
Massachusetts: a state born of bravery, controversy and confrontation, a place where American roots run deep. Both the furnace and the fuel for the fires of Independence, Massachusetts embodies the indomitable spirit of America. It did so in the beginning, and the tradition lives on to this day.
Here is the entire fascinating story of Massachusetts, as it was lived in all its authentic detail and towering glory. In this epic novel, Nancy Zaroulis, writing at the pinnacle of her storytelling power, brilliantly portrays three generations of the fictional Revell family, as they are swept up in the tidal wave of history.
The story begins on the Mayflower, with orphaned Bartholomew Revell in the care of pilgrim leader John Carver. At New Plymouth, a settlement struggling with hardship and death, the great sachem Massasoit and the wise Squanto present the Pilgrims with the secrets of survival in the New World. Bartle will make his way to Boston, five years after the city is founded, to begin his dynasty. With his son Jedediah he will build the kind of fabulous trading empire that Boston's port makes possible - in spite of war with Indians, threats from the Mother Country, and the zealous hunt for witches and devil worshipers.
But it is Bartle's grandson, Ebenezer, who will face the greatest crises of all - Revolution. Joining John Adams and the other founding fathers, he will survive the War of Independence only to see his family divided, one Revell pitted against another.
At last the state is set for Massachusetts - and the Revells - to play their parts in the great events of the next two centuries: the China Trade, the Industrial Revolution, and the growing call for the abolition of slavers; the Civil War and the wave of Irish immigrants that settles in Boston, including the upstart Shaughnessys; the union movement and the tragic case of Sacco and Vanzetti; the stock market crash and world war. The saga continues into the present, as the Revells fight the most important battle of all: to save Thoreau's Walden, and at that world-famous symbol of the environment, to begin the struggle to save the Earth itself.
Spanning more than 350 years in the lives of the heroic men and women who became the legendary leaders of Massachusetts, and of a new united country, Nancy Zarioulis's magnificent novel is the definitive portrait of a great state and a great people, Massachusetts.
Here is the entire fascinating story of Massachusetts, as it was lived in all its authentic detail and towering glory. In this epic novel, Nancy Zaroulis, writing at the pinnacle of her storytelling power, brilliantly portrays three generations of the fictional Revell family, as they are swept up in the tidal wave of history.
The story begins on the Mayflower, with orphaned Bartholomew Revell in the care of pilgrim leader John Carver. At New Plymouth, a settlement struggling with hardship and death, the great sachem Massasoit and the wise Squanto present the Pilgrims with the secrets of survival in the New World. Bartle will make his way to Boston, five years after the city is founded, to begin his dynasty. With his son Jedediah he will build the kind of fabulous trading empire that Boston's port makes possible - in spite of war with Indians, threats from the Mother Country, and the zealous hunt for witches and devil worshipers.
But it is Bartle's grandson, Ebenezer, who will face the greatest crises of all - Revolution. Joining John Adams and the other founding fathers, he will survive the War of Independence only to see his family divided, one Revell pitted against another.
At last the state is set for Massachusetts - and the Revells - to play their parts in the great events of the next two centuries: the China Trade, the Industrial Revolution, and the growing call for the abolition of slavers; the Civil War and the wave of Irish immigrants that settles in Boston, including the upstart Shaughnessys; the union movement and the tragic case of Sacco and Vanzetti; the stock market crash and world war. The saga continues into the present, as the Revells fight the most important battle of all: to save Thoreau's Walden, and at that world-famous symbol of the environment, to begin the struggle to save the Earth itself.
Spanning more than 350 years in the lives of the heroic men and women who became the legendary leaders of Massachusetts, and of a new united country, Nancy Zarioulis's magnificent novel is the definitive portrait of a great state and a great people, Massachusetts.
709 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
6 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Zaroulis
14 books22 followersNancy Zaroulis aka Cynthia Peale writes fiction and nonfiction. In her spare time she enjoys photography, museums, a good movie, knitting, and cooking. Not a sports fan, but keep your eye on that 8-year-old chess champ (in 2019) in New York!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 18, 2020
This author did an excellent job portraying the history of Massachusetts through fictional characters...everything pertinent that ever happened in this state. Perfect reading for any history buff and most definately for any native Bay Stater!
June 1, 2014
It's been a while since I have read a book that pulled me back to it in every spare moment. Massachusetts is that book. It's not the old boring history story I learned in school by memorizing dates. It is a breathtaking historical saga with characters and their stories that are so well developed I had a hard time putting it down.
It takes you through a 350 year span of the Revell family and descendants. It is based on true events and as far as I can tell it's historically accurate. The real characters, along with the fictional ones come alive under the brilliant writing skills of Nancy Zaroulis. With amazing ease she weaves exciting and extremely interesting tales starting with the arrival the young Mayflower passenger, Bartholomew Revell who goes to Boston to find his fortune. The Revell women are the focus of this novel and as we follow them down the line we meet interesting female characters such as Catherine, who survived an Indian capture, Rebecca, who was hanged for being a witch and the list goes on through the years bringing the reader into the 1960s.
I really enjoyed this novel and the 720 pages flew by and I have to say that it is one is one of the best I have ever read. I highly recommended it to anyone who loves this genre as I do.
Nancy Zaroulis also wrote another historical novel, Call the Darkness Light about the start of the Lowell cotton mills in Massachusetts and the first generation of the women who ran them. I loved it so much that I read it twice and still have my dog-eared paperback copy from the early 1990s. I might read both of these novels again someday.
Although these novels are out of print they are easily obtainable from local libraries or used book stores.
It takes you through a 350 year span of the Revell family and descendants. It is based on true events and as far as I can tell it's historically accurate. The real characters, along with the fictional ones come alive under the brilliant writing skills of Nancy Zaroulis. With amazing ease she weaves exciting and extremely interesting tales starting with the arrival the young Mayflower passenger, Bartholomew Revell who goes to Boston to find his fortune. The Revell women are the focus of this novel and as we follow them down the line we meet interesting female characters such as Catherine, who survived an Indian capture, Rebecca, who was hanged for being a witch and the list goes on through the years bringing the reader into the 1960s.
I really enjoyed this novel and the 720 pages flew by and I have to say that it is one is one of the best I have ever read. I highly recommended it to anyone who loves this genre as I do.
Nancy Zaroulis also wrote another historical novel, Call the Darkness Light about the start of the Lowell cotton mills in Massachusetts and the first generation of the women who ran them. I loved it so much that I read it twice and still have my dog-eared paperback copy from the early 1990s. I might read both of these novels again someday.
Although these novels are out of print they are easily obtainable from local libraries or used book stores.
March 17, 2011
Four stars for the ambitous huge undertaking: an historical fiction of the State of Massachusetts from the time of the early European settlers and native Americans and moving to the modern era. Parts of it were interesting, other parts not.The reader follows the descendants of an early settler. After the fourth generation I began losing track of who was who and interest began waning. I have read other books by Nancy Zaroulis and enjoyed them more for their entertainment value. What I like about her writing is that she sets the tone of the story well. She helps the reader enter the scene and feel what it would have been like living in a Puritan settlement or in Boston during the revolutionary war with British soldiers billeted in American homes. Parts of it were excellent as they educate painlessly, permitting me to see how a merchant class might develop, and seeing how the Irish were dubbed "dirty Irish" and thought of as second class, and how they gradually gained acceptance into American society. Lots of research must have gone into this book. Overall, I would give it 3 1/2 stars.
February 15, 2021
The first 2/3 is an effortless history lesson starting with the Mayflower, establishment of the colony, relations with the native tribes, growth of Boston, conflict with England, Puritans, Quakers, the growing American merchant class, the slave trade, industrialization, transcendentalism, abolitionists, the suffrage movement, and the great migration. It loses momentum in second half of the 19th century and the rest of the book is a slog. The last section on environmentalism in the late 20th cent is wince inducing. Forgivable, though, and Definitely worth a read. It’s supporting evidence that history is best written about at a distance, which the author didn’t have at time of pub. I recommend it to all American history buffs!
August 29, 2017
I was really interested in reading this because of my love of history, especially history to do with my ancestors. The history is there but I found this book terribly depressing. Yes, I know bad things happened. I know people treated other people horribly. But by page 119, I had yet to meet a character I liked. I had yet to read of an incident that demonstrated hope or courage or even kindness. Instead, the pages were filled with reprehensible acts committed by two dimensional characters. Narrow-minded, racist, falsely righteous, static characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2023
This is a book review of Massachusetts by Nancy Zaroulis. This is historical fiction. Although I enjoyed this book, I wonder if people not from MA would like it. I knew everything Zaroulis was writing about. I enjoyed the family she followed from the Mayflower through the 60's. Would non-Baystaters think it was boring? I'll have to let a friend read it.
It was interesting to re-visit the history I learned and as the story progressed to my era, I was there. I was in the crowd.
It was interesting to re-visit the history I learned and as the story progressed to my era, I was there. I was in the crowd.
March 7, 2018
I learned a lot about early Massachusetts. A good read I think.
February 25, 2014
Although this book is no longer in print, I was able to obtain a copy upon recommendation of a friend.
It is a smashing look at history of the state of Massachusetts. It does not go into pre-colonization but starts in the 17th century and with a fictional cast, follows historical events particularly one family of silversmiths who were early settlers of Boston.
Having grown up in this area and being part of a museum staff, I appreciated her detailed look at the King Phillips War, the American Revolution the mills and factoried in Lowell, and other fictional accounts in Massachusetts history.
Although this book was a long journey and at times I needed a break from the episodes, I found it a fresh and enormous look at the last 400 years.
It is a smashing look at history of the state of Massachusetts. It does not go into pre-colonization but starts in the 17th century and with a fictional cast, follows historical events particularly one family of silversmiths who were early settlers of Boston.
Having grown up in this area and being part of a museum staff, I appreciated her detailed look at the King Phillips War, the American Revolution the mills and factoried in Lowell, and other fictional accounts in Massachusetts history.
Although this book was a long journey and at times I needed a break from the episodes, I found it a fresh and enormous look at the last 400 years.
May 4, 2015
Ambitious work of historical fiction, clearly well researched and informative. Interesting way to learn about the history of Massachusetts (mostly Boston) from the very very start (the Mayflower!) all the way into the end of the 20th century. I'm visiting Boston soon and so I found this interesting for my upcoming trip but I must admit I would never have finished it if not for this circumstance. It is at least about 200 pages too long.
May 2, 2011
Enjoyed this book very much. Long and hard cover so bulky to hold but loved the history factor and think it moved along at a nice pace. A lot to cover in one book and author did good research and covered some very interesting spots in history!
December 2, 2008
An excellent book for anyone who enjoys "historical fiction". This summarizes the history of Massachusetts!
February 10, 2011
This started out pretty interesting but ended up kind of boring. A good history refresher, but the writing wasn't so great, still I did enjoy it somewhat.
December 29, 2011
I have put this book aside for a while. It got a little slow going and I picked up another read.
December 18, 2012
Loved the first 3/4 of this book, then just lost interest.
July 20, 2014
Great start but ending was long and boring
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews