Thanksgiving: The Pilgrims' First Year in America

Fascinating

Having grown up in Massachusetts, the Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Plantation were a large part of my education. After reading this book, I realized how very selective that education had been. Cheney tells the story of the first 102 men, women and children who came to Plymouth from England. He goes back to the very beginning, to their lives in Europe and their reasons for wanting to start over someplace new.

While this book is packed with information, Cheney's writing is never dry or dull. Cheney's research adds depth to the story and we get to know the people we now call Pilgrims. At the end, we know the true story behind the tradition we now call Thanksgiving.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

History that reads like fiction.

This was a very unique book. I have never really read anything like it before. I thought it was going to be a history book, and it was, but after getting to know the author a little bit I realized it was going to be an entertaining history book at the least... And it was!

I've never really been into history. I had very boring history teachers in school (with one exception) so I didn't really pay much attention to what I was learning. But I've found as an adult that there are so many people that are enthusiastic about history that they have a way of explaining what happened in a way that I actually care to hear what they are saying. That's not to say that I don't know any history, just that when I start reading a historical book I'm learning something for the first time.

It's funny how things get "skewed" when we learn them (well when everyone else learned them and I was doodling in my notebooks). And not that things get skewed in a bad way, but with the passing of time so passes many of the details and particulars of the events that have transpired. I knew about the Mayflower, and I knew the story of the first Thanksgiving, but I was very enlightened by reading this book. We meet the Pilgrims before they set sail to America, we get to follow them on their miserable (I think that's putting it nicely) boat ride, and their first year in America. There are so many things that happened that I didn't know about, and so many things that I remember learning differently. You can tell that Cheney has done his research and written a book that is a true to what occurred aboard the Mayflower and what happened when the Pilgrims arrived in America.

I think my favorite part of this book was that it felt like I was reading fiction, to an extent. Sure there are some sections that do come across like a history book, but for the most part I felt like I was just reading a story. The ability to write history in a way that holds my interest is a true feat! Kudos to Glen Cheney!

I really liked just about everything about this book. The cover is so simple, which really fits the book. I happened to receive a hard cover copy, so there was also a ribbon bookmark (I didn't know they still made books with ribbon bookmarks in them) and I LOVED it! The book also felt like it was an "old" book. To me reading old books (like ones that haven't been opened in 50 years) is a great experience I feel as if the book has it's own story, in addition to the one written in its pages, which makes reading it that much more of an experience for me. That was the feeling I had reading this book. I think I've grew very fond of this book because of that "old" feeling it has. Kind of like a kid with an old soul, you just feel something different than you do from any other kid. I usually donate my books to the library, as I will promote literacy in any way possible, but given my connection with the "old soul" of this book I think I'm going to have to hang on to it!

Thanks for the history lesson

This slim little volume is an amazing insight into the Pilgrim experience. It tells a story familiar to us all, but adds a real humanity to it. It gives a fair shake to the Pilgrims and Native Americans both. There is humor as well. I found this to be a surprisingly engaging read.

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