The London Years of Stephen Hopkins

by Michael E. McCarthy

Stephen Hopkins was a hurricane and shipwreck survivor, Jamestown settler, psalmist reader and adventurer who yearned for the freedom to live life on his own terms. His pursuit of this ambition is explored in this imagined look at the four-year period in which Hopkins lived in London, aligning himself with the oppressed Puritans and their escape from persecution. Although not a follower of the Puritans' vision of Christianity, he became a leader and an envoy for their expedition across the Atlantic on the Mayflower. After living in Jamestown Settlement for six years, Hopkins returns to London to reconnect with his orphaned children, but soon longs to return to America. In the four years between his departure from America in 1616 and his boarding the Mayflower in 1620, he meets the people and has the experiences that guide him toward his position at the helm of the Mayflower expedition. An ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life, Stephen Hopkins has been analyzed throughout history for his contributions to the pilgrim settlement in what was to become Plymouth, Massachusetts. Today, with over a hundred thousand descendants, genealogists and historians look to fill the four-year gap in his life prior to setting sail back to America.

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 24, 2020

Reviews

[Lynda Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ick. Not my cup of tea. It seems like it was written for tweens, not adults. Looked over the cover and reviews twice and if it was advertised that way I totally missed it. I was hoping for more of an authentic feel for what daily life in London was like, etc. Dialog and action are infantile. Stephen Hopkins is supposedly a Puritan in this, but there's no proof anywhere that he was anything other than a plain old Anglican. Absolutely no character development and no plot - not even a real story line. Too bad. So disappointed. It's very clear that the author did almost no research beyond getting a list of names, a basic timeline and stereotyped descriptions of people involved. It reads like the plot of a muppet movie. Replace Stephen Hopkins with Kermit in a feathered hat and go from there...

[Barbara Byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expands on the life of one of the 'strangers' who sailed to America twice!! - the second time aboard the Mayflower. Stephen Hopkins is a most extraordinay man.... this book fills in important parts of his life and family.

[Jan Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading more about Stephen Hopkins.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book! Mr. McCarthy has a great way of developing his characters and making you feel like you are experiencing the story as it unfolds. As a Stephen Hopkins descendant I truly appreciate how he has portrayed Stephen and his family in his book.