The Winthrop Woman

"Years ago I read Seton's Dragonwyck and although I don't remember details of that story, I do remember how much I loved it. I've been meaning to read another Seton novel for years, and on a whim I decided on The Winthrop Woman.<br/><br/>Heavily historical, The Winthrop Woman is inspired by the lives of the early settlers in Greeenwich, CT, where the author herself lived. I'm sure that Seton took some historical liberties, as all writers of historical fiction do, but overwhelmingly this novel felt like reading actual history. For me, that wasn't a turn off; it just helped explain things like why a husband we didn't like needed to stick around for so long (hint: because in real life he did stick around that long!). Although the main character is a woman, there is actually a good amount of biographical information about her life because she was from such prominent Massachusetts Bay Colony family.<br/><br/>I'd say what will stick with me longest was the atmosphere Seton created. It made me feel even more like a witness to history. Another fun takeaway: By sheer coincidence, I put two and two together and discovered that one of my direct ancestors is a minor character in this book. So I unintentionally got to know my 9th great grandfather!"