After retirement, I dabbled in my genealogy and family history. Soon, researching the vital dates and locations needed for my family tree branches grew tedious; whereas snippets of ancestors’ lives were intriguing, compelling me to romanticized further to put leaves on my branches. Babbling became an obsession.
John Law, the protagonist in “The Immigrant”, is my seven-greats grandfather. He was captured at the Battle of Dunbar, endured a ‘death march’ to Durham Cathedral, and survived a horrific, life-altering, trans-Atlantic crossing to arrive at Boston. Still in his teens, he began life anew as a Scottish POW in a Puritan Theocracy. I wondered about such a life. The Immigrant in many respects symbolizes the lives of a few hundred Scottish POWs in Puritan times.
Naamah Carter, the protagonist in “The Believers in the Crucible Nauvoo”, is my two-greats grand aunt. Like many, she was inspired by Joseph Smith’s testimonies and traveled to Nauvoo to join the faithful. With the western exodus imminent, she married Brigham Young. I was aware of these two historic figures, researched them further, and was awestruck by events in Nauvoo and their effect on the believers. To many, plural marriage is an anathema; to others, an enigma. But Naamah’s story is unique, more than what my initial reaction provided.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Publisher: Myfourleggedstoolpublishers
Pub. Date: January 1st, 2015
Pages: 416
A historical saga that covers a winter of 1650/1651 journey of John Law, a young Scotsman captured by the English Lord Cromwell’s forces in seventeenth century Scotland during “The Battle of Dunbar”. He survives a death march to Durham, England and is eventually sent to Massachusetts Bay Colony as an indentured servant, arriving aboard the ship “Unity” that was carrying around 150 prisoners of war from different Scottish clans. Now an outcast, and in the sanctuary of the new colony, John starts over as an immigrant in a Puritan theocracy. He is first indentured to the Saugus Iron Works and then to Concord as a public shepherd in West Concord (now Acton). The young man faces obstacles often beyond his control, and his only ally is his faith. After his indenture is served he struggles a near lifetime to obtain title to his promised land. From start to finish “The Immigrant” is an intoxicating journey that follows the travails of John, his faith in God, his good wife and growing family.
Buy the Book
About the Author
Alfred Woollacott, III retired from KPMG after a career spanning 34 years, choosing to reside full time at his summer residence on Martha’s Vineyard. Being “45 minutes from America” and with a 50 – 60 hour per week void to fill, he began dabbling into his family history. His dabbling grew into an obsession, and he published several genealogical summaries of his ancestors. But certain ones absorbed him such that he could not leave them. So he researched their lives and times further while evolving his writing skills from “just the facts ma’am” to a fascinating narrative style. Thus with imagination, anchored in fact and tempered with plausibility, a remote ancestor can achieve a robust life as envisioned by a writer with a few drops of his ancestor’s blood in his veins.
When not writing, Al serves on several Boards, and keeps physically active with golf, tennis, and hockey. He and his wife of 44 years, Jill, have four children and ten grandchildren.
Novel Expressions Blog Tours Schedule
No comments:
Post a Comment