Standish of Standish A story of the Pilgrims

by Jane G. Austin

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Fiction

438 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1889

About the author

Jane Goodwin Austin, born Mary Jane Goodwin, was an American writer, notable for being the author of 24 books and numerous short stories.

Jane G. Austin was a Pilgrims specialist. The Austin part of her name comes from her marriage, in 1850, to Loring Henry Austin.

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I wrote my dissertation on Jane Goodwin Austin, so I am a little biased. She does not deserve to be forgotten, and she definitely deserves more credit for her role in shaping our understanding of the Pilgrim story. Standish of Standish was a best-seller in its day and stayed in print well into the twentieth century, even being taught in schools as history. The plot follows the events of the Plymouth Colony's first few years, and for the most part, Austin is faithful to the factual record. There are some embellishments, some of which seem ridiculous today, but some of which were believed to be true when she wrote it. And she definitely adds in imaginative elements to round out the story line. The best example is how she more or less "invents" the story of the First Thanksgiving as we commonly think of it today: she imagines the Pilgrims inviting the Wampanoag to dinner, they feast outside, the Wampanoag introduce popcorn, and so on. By building on the bare bones of the primary source accounts, she told a story that captivated the nation. If you're interested, I have more information on my blog, Inventing the Pilgrims.

[Annika Cleeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it, love it, love it.

[Donna Peake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very in depth book on the Pilgrims and their struggles to survive in America. Learned of even more of those who came over in the Mayflower.

[Greg Collver · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not care for this book.