The story of a Puritan struggling against his sinning self to find salvation. He travels from England to New England in 1622 where he battled hunger and Indians as well as himself. ( )

Charles Wentworth is a young Puritan struggling to be “regenerated” by God’s presence. Finding this an impossible task in England of the time, he sails with other like-minded ”separatists” for Plymouth. There he aspires to live a godly life among a community dedicated to the “pure” faith of the Puritans.
Hugh Nissenson writes as a contemporary with “spake” and “digged” etc. I’m not quite sure of his purpose. These English emigrants seeking freedom of worship became the “founding fathers” of America. Is Mr. Nissenson reminding Americans that the roots of their nation were planted in the soil of religious fervour? I think there must be something more to it.

In England of the 17th century, religion and state were inextricably united so that breaking a biblical law (not observing the Sabbath for example) was punishable by law: from fines to flogging. The modern day parallel that came to my mind as I read was Islam. Is that the author’s intention or just me? An interesting read for history and theology enthusiasts.

7 out of 10. ( )

Fascinating look at the Puritans form the viewpoint of Charles Wentworth, a young man whose mother dies giving birth to him, and whose father is a minister. Feeling he has not found salvation nor acceptance from God he continues to question all he does. Well written exploration of what it means to live in a Puritan society, first in England and than in Plymouth, Mass. The language is as true to form of that time period as it can be without being overbearing. ( )

The Pilgrim is a gripping account of a love-torn Puritan's spiritual struggle for redemption, the finding of an unforgettable romantic love, and his never ending battle to overcome the burden of sin.

Charles Wentworth, a heart broken Puritan, comes to the New World from England in 1622 in search of salvation and a new beginning. After the tragic death of his betrothed, Charles abandons his faith and revels in lust until his guilt finally overwhelms him. Now he must travel to Plymouth in hopes of being freed of the temptations that torment him.

On his journey Charles falls in love again, this time with a young woman seeking the pious life. In Plymouth, they must overcome a world in which wolves and heathen Indians roam the dark forests, and famine and disease are ever-present threats.

Hugh Nissenson's The Pilgrim (Sourcebooks Landmark, 2011) is the tale of one Charles Wentworth—not the picareseque Charles Wentworth of the 1770 novel, but an earlier Charles Wentworth, whose struggles with himself, his fellow man, and God are chronicled here in the form of a "written confession."

Nissenson's Wentworth, the son of a Puritan minister, has practically seen it all even before he signs on to occupany Thomas Weston's expedition to Wessagusset in 1622: he's only in his early twenties then, but has already witnessed the (often gruesome) deaths of many of those close to him. And that's before he tries to live through a Massaschusetts winter with a bunch of ill-prepared, ill-provisioned adventurers.

While he's taken some liberties with the Wessagusset story, Nissenson's fictional account certainly could be a worse retelling of the ill-fated colonial endeavor. Wentworth's humanity comes through well in the way he recounts his own history, and I liked how Nissenson put his narrator's "scrivener's habit" of list-making to effective use.

Overall, I liked this well-researched and clearly-written novel.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-pilgrim.html ( )