Thanksgiving:: The Pilgrims' First Year in America in Q&A with Glenn Cheney

Nov 18, 2010 Barbara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, in-america, new-england, non-fiction, in-europe, native-american, read-in-2010, farms-and-farming, ocean-voyage, reviewed

I finished Thanksgiving: The Pilgrims' First Year in America last night. I am a pretty slow reader (I like to take my time with books and really absorb everything I'm reading AND I've been working on various projects seven days a week, so I can only read in the late evenings.) Having said that, I need to point out that reading a work of non-fiction (which usually moves slower than fiction) in one week is VERY quick for me. But this work of non-fiction read like an amazing adventure story, and I I finished Thanksgiving: The Pilgrims' First Year in America last night. I am a pretty slow reader (I like to take my time with books and really absorb everything I'm reading AND I've been working on various projects seven days a week, so I can only read in the late evenings.) Having said that, I need to point out that reading a work of non-fiction (which usually moves slower than fiction) in one week is VERY quick for me. But this work of non-fiction read like an amazing adventure story, and I felt as though I was part of that adventure the entire way through. Glenn Alan Cheney knows how to write about history and take the reader on a wild ride through the historic moments he is writing about. In fact, many of the events that took place in this book are so unbelievable that I had to keep reminding myself that this all REALLY did happen!!

Once in a blue moon, when I finish a book, I immediately want to start it all over again from the beginning and read the entire book all over again. I don't want to leave the world and the characters of the book. That was exactly how I felt when I finished this book last night -- I was not ready to say goodbye to all of these people (Pilgrims and Indians) and the land that they were living on, or the trees, the plants, the animals, the homes they built, the things they made. I will remember the events and adventures of all of these people forever.

Mr. Cheney takes us through this entire adventure right from the very beginning, explaining how the Church of England was formed and how the Separatists (or Puritans) came to be, and the reasons why they would want to take a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to start a whole new life in the New World.

Reading about the Mayflower crossing the Atlantic was quite gripping, and that's putting it very mildly. I felt as though I was actually on that boat, and it was a pretty scary experience. I had to look around my small (but very well-heated) Manhattan apartment to remind myself that I was safe at home and not on that cold, wet, crowded, and extremely dangerous boat. Mr. Cheney really is an amazing writer. Here are a few words of his about the Mayflower's journey across the Atlantic: "As wave after wave washed over the topdeck, fear and cold water flooded down to the gun deck, inundating the terrified passengers, soaking everything as it sloshed back and forth across the deck." And believe me, this is just a very small "taste" of his description of that boat trip!

Arriving in New England was quite an adventure as well, but a completely different type of adventure. On the boat they had to worry about the ocean ripping the ship apart, drowning, germs, running out of food, drink, and supplies. On land they had to worry about freezing to death, attacks of animals or "savages" (as they referred to the natives, until they actually got to know them), and they still had to worry about lack of food, drink, and supplies.

I absolutely loved it when the Pilgrims finally met their first Indian friend, Samoset. Samoset approached the pilgrims "buck naked but for fringed leather around his waist. He came striding resolutely, fearlessly, straight toward the settlement, revealing more male skin than the Pilgrim women had seen outside of their homes. Men rushed out to intercept him. In one of the most astounding moments in American history, this tall, black-haired savage from out of the woods made a gesture of friendship and said in an accent somewhere between Algonquin and cockney, 'Welcome, Englishmen.'"

There are so many wonderful moments in this adventure story, and so many very, very frightening moments. I do want to share more, and I will come back and add more to this review (because I just cannot say enough about this book.) I need to come back to this in a couple of days because I have a terrible cold at the moment and it's becoming difficult to write, but I wanted to at least get something down right away. I hope many more people read this book so that I can discuss it with others. I know that all of the reviews that I've seen so far have been fantastic, so I'm not alone in loving this book.

On one final note before I go, I need to say that although my words above are talking about a great adventure story, this is also a fantastic educational experience. I learned more about this time period in America and in England than I have ever known, and Mr. Cheney allows the reader to see both sides -- the Pilgrims' side and the Indians' side. (By the way -- in the Foreword of this book Mr. Cheney explains that he had discovered that "many native Americans are offended at the exclusionary term Native American" which is the reason I am referring to the natives, who were on this land at least 10,000 years prior to Europeans, as Indians, instead of using the term "Native American" which is the term I have always used in the past.

Thank you to Glenn Alan Cheney for writing such a fascinating book, and thank you to Goodreads for choosing me as a First Reads winner of this wonderful book. The people at Goodreads who choose the books as "First Read" books have really been doing an amazing job. This is the sixth "First Reads" book I've read, and I have really loved all of them -- and please keep in mind that Goodreads does not require First Reads winners to write positive reviews or even to write a review at all. I would have loved this book and given it a glowing review even if I spent a fortune on it -- it was worth it!!! ...more

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Nov 03, 2009 Rebecca rated it it was amazing

Shelves: goodreads-wins, read-2009

I received this book as a Goodreads win directly from the author. I thought it was fascinating. It was well researched and easy to follow.

The book described the history of religious persecution that drove the pilgrims to leave for America. It described the journey and how dangerous it was and what kind of conditions were on board. And then what it was like for them when they landed in the new world in the middle of winter with no housing, food, warmth and lots of disease. By spring half of the ...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Melinda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a great book! And one I think everyone will enjoy as well. It is way more than just a history of the holiday, as it goes into the probable feelings of the pilgrims. And though we will never know those, we all do know they had it rough. Mr. Cheney just adds the words for us. It ended up being a real page turner for me, and one that I will reread again a few times in the future. Here is also the link to my review at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/review/RA751CIM...

Great book!!! ...more

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Oct 08, 2009 Brandon rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction-history

A complete history of the first settlers in America. Starts off with the Separatist movement in England and finishes with the first Thanksgiving in America. There is a nice blend of facts, but in narrative form. Really enjoyed the stories of the relationships built between the settlers and the Indians. Would recommend this to anyone looking to brush up on their history before the Thanksgiving holiday.

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Nov 17, 2009 Laura marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Mar 11, 2012 Newbee (JoAnn) Brown marked it as to-read

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