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Vowell does extensive research on the Puritans and the birth of America as we now know it. She has studied the legal documents and personal letters of the men who established the first English villages in North America, and the ways they nearly annihilated the native tribes.
I happen to like history and have studied this time period, so I do recommend this book highly for the history buff. Vowell has an interesting, dry wit that keeps things moving at a good pace. However, I'd guess that someone ...more
I happen to like history and have studied this time period, so I do recommend this book highly for the history buff. Vowell has an interesting, dry wit that keeps things moving at a good pace. However, I'd guess that someone ...more
I think I just need to stop reading Sarah Vowell, because I finish her books and just feel irritated by how clever she thinks she is. I'm sure this was excellent? But mostly she pisses me off, no matter how good her books.
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My favorite thing about the delightful Sarah Vowell (aside from her perfect-for-radio voice) is the utter warmth and affection she brings to her subject. The Puritans are, let's face it, kind of quaint and boring to the modern mind, but Vowell does an excellent job at showing how their struggles are still very much relevant. Her mixture of good-hearted teasing and genuine admiration will always keep me coming back to her.
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Oct 09, 2008
Jen
marked it as put-on-hold
I'm having a really hard time getting through this, which is disappointing because I typically love Vowell's books w/their blend of history, humor and pop culture references. I'm going to take a break and read something else, then hopefully pick it up again with renewed vigor to finish it.
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Oct 28, 2008
MichelleCH
marked it as to-read
Dec 24, 2008
Janna
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Jun 06, 2009
Megan
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Mar 31, 2010
Anna
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Mar 25, 2012
Cheryl Scaccio
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Nov 30, 2015
Jimmie
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Apr 25, 2017
Stacey Matson
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Nov 27, 2018
Mansir
marked it as to-read
