Mayflower Adventure

Kimberley Woodhouse introduces readers to a new series with this first book, "The Mayflower Bride." The concept of following along and learning about the what may have occurred on the Mayflower's voyage to the new world peaked my interest as I enjoy genealogy. Mary Elizabeth Chapman is a fictional character on board the Speedwell in 1620 with her father and her younger brother. The reader is also introduced to actual passengers who were aboard the Mayflower and Speedwell. The author states she has tried to keep the story as historically accurate as possible. The final time the Speedwell enters port due to water leakage, the passengers all board the Mayflower making the final passage across the Atlantic late in the season. Woodhouse tries to make the reader feel and see what the passengers on board would have from the cramped quarters, the sea sickness, the stench from illness, sweat, and unemptied chamber-pots. With that said, I still felt there were times the author did not dive deep enough into what was happening or not happening. "I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."