The Peaceable Kingdom

Het Koninkrijk van de Vrede #1-4

by Jan de Hartog

Drawing from the history of the Quakers, the author creates an epic tale about the struggles of these people as they searched for religious freedom

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Religion, Historical, Christian, Christianity, Adult Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 28, 1972

About the author

Jan de Hartog (1914 – 2002) was a Dutch playwright, novelist and occasional social critic who moved to the United States in the early 1960s and became a Quaker. From then on he wrote in English.
At the beginning of his career he wrote five detective novels about the adventures of Commissioner Wiebe Poesiat and inspector Gregor Boyarski at the metropolitan harbor police under the pseudonym F.R. Eckmar

Johannes (Jan) de Hartog was een Nederlandse schrijver van romans, toneelstukken en filmscenario's, vooral gekend om zijn romans over de scheepvaart.
In het begin van zijn carrière schreef hij, onder het pseudoniem F.R. Eckmar, ook een vijftal detectieveromans over de avonturen van commissaris Wiebe Poesiat en inspecteur Gregor Boyarski bij de hoofdstedelijke havenpolitie.

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book 5 times, between the years 1974 and 1986. I remember buying the fat little paperback edition and having it awhile, because it was 896 pages long, and I wasn't ready for that just then. Then I got sick with the flu and was home in bed for almost a week, so I tried it and obviously went crazy for it.

Later on, I found a hardcover copy at a book fair, so I bought that, because my paperback was literally falling apart from all those readings. Its the book I've read more times than any other.

I don't even know what attracted me to it in the first place, because I'm not a religious person, and its basically about the beginnings of the group called The Religious Society Of Friends. But its a real saga, spread over several generations, and I remember it as a pretty gripping story. One part that especially stands out in my memory is a woman called Margaret Fell moving into a prison and sleeping in a rat and lice-filled dungeon for quite some time, trying to save a young boy named Henry, who was condemned to death, or at least trying to save his soul.

I believe the book is actually part one of several volumes, but I didn't read any of those and found this to be a complete story in itself.

Anyway, its been over 20 years since I read it, so with all the other books I've read since then, its hard to remember much else. Maybe its time to tackle it again!

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with this book is that is really should be two books. I loved the first half, which is about the founding of Quakerism is England. It challenged my faith in fruitful ways and helped me imagine the beginnings of the Quaker movement. The second half is set in Pennsylvania and really should be it's own book. I found the second half to be less inspired and actually quite gruesome and hard to take.

[Karyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprising story full of bright characters and unexpected twists and turns.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 500 pages traces the mystical beginnings of Quakerism through George Fox and Margaret Fell's prophetic ministries and corresponding persecution in 17th century England. The book jumps in time and the next 400 pages follows later generations (18th century) Quakers of Philadelphia as they struggle to live their Quaker ideals in an economy built on slavery and delicate relations with Native American Indians in turbulent and violent times. The two books tie together as you read into the second book.

I was inspired by the tough choices made by different characters to give voice to Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. I just wish I knew what was close to historical and what was purely fictional.

[Kate Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and often heart breaking story of the Quaker movement from England to Philadelphia. A movement that started with a powerful experience of God and a great sacrifice of giving to the poorest and the most neglected in society. Almost unrecognisable today, the Quakers were ready to lay down their lives for their beliefs and their belief in others. Among the first to embrace people from different races and social backgrounds. Among the first to release slaves and allocate property to them. Sadly copies of this marvellous book are hard to get but worth the investment. It now ranks in my top five ever reads.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my original review of this book:

"I have read this book 5 times, between the years 1974 and 1986. I remember buying the fat little paperback edition and having it awhile, because it was 896 pages long, and I wasn't ready for that just then. Then I got sick with the flu and was home in bed for almost a week, so I tried it and obviously went crazy for it.

Later on, I found a hardcover copy at a book fair, so I bought that, because my paperback was literally falling apart from all those readings. Its the book I've read more times than any other.

I don't even know what attracted me to it in the first place, because I'm not a religious person, and its basically about the beginnings of the group called The Religious Society Of Friends. But its a real saga, spread over several generations, and I remember it as a pretty gripping story. One part that especially stands out in my memory is a woman called Margaret Fell moving into a prison and sleeping in a rat and lice-filled dungeon for quite some time, trying to save a young boy named Henry, who was condemned to death, or at least trying to save his soul.

I believe the book is actually part one of several volumes, but I didn't read any of those and found this to be a complete story in itself.

Anyway, its been over 20 years since I read it, so with all the other books I've read since then, its hard to remember much else. Maybe its time to tackle it again!"

Since the above review, I have just reread the book, for, I think, the last time, in 2013. It's quite a piece of work. The first half deals mostly with what I had remembered: the beginning of the Quakers, and Margaret Fell moving into the dungeon to save little Henry's soul, in 1652. The second half is about a hundred years later, and deals with the families, still Quakers, their slaves (and guilt over having any), indians, and a lot of drama you wouldn't expect from reading the book's description! I enjoyed the book again, altho probably not as much as my younger self, and it took me a lot longer to get thru it this time. In my original review, I gave the book 5 stars. Today I would give it about 3-1/2. Still enjoyable, tho long, and probably not something I'll revisit. Too many other books I'll never get to!

[John Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, if I had known that I was only reading Volume I, then I might not have begun reading in the first place. Apparently de Hartog has taken to writing an historical fiction novel (mostly fiction) about the Quakers that takes the reader from the beginning of Quakerism to the present. When I picked up the book and saw that it ended in the mid-18th century, I figured de Hartog was only writing about the beginning. I did not know that there are Volumes II and III out there. Whew. You might not want to commit to reading all three volumes--each volume is REALLY long--but if you don't mind reading just one volume and then quitting, I highly recommend it.

de Hartog's writing style is usually fluid and poetic, pulling out what is best and ideal about Quakerism while still meshing with reality. At times de Hartog noticeably speeds up his narration out of impatience, but when you're reading a crap-long novel, you won't mind. You'll learn a lot about Quakerism, what it's all about and whatnot, and almost want to become a Quaker yourself. You are drawn in and begin to think, "Huh, is that true?" You know it's fiction, but you are drawn to think that it's not. Truly a magnificent story that bridges the gap between the divine and the human.

You'll love the characters, too. When I say that the story bridges the gap between the divine and the human, well, all the characters are the human part. Each and every one of them experiences the divine, but almost immediately reverts back to the human within them. Except for George Fox, there are no instant believers, no easily believed supernatural experiences, nothing unbelievable to our modern sentiments. The journeys that each character goes through, though, will sell you on the beauty and divinity of the Quaker faith.

At the very least, you'll finish reading this book and want to spend more time in silence.

[Kate Hornstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

At some point in the late 1960's or early 70's Dutch-born Jan de Hartog decided he would write an epic novel about his chosen faith. And he did it but oh Mylanta...900 pages (and this is just volume 1!), lots of sex, racism (but through the prism of his Quaker characters which makes for...characters you're cheering for one minute and being disgusted by the next) and scenes where I was literally crying, or couldn't put the book down (Margaret Fell picking bedbugs off her legs and singing madrigals with a child on the gallows; Gulie, medicine-woman and midwife to the Delaware dying of stomach cancer, alone on her old horse in the western wilderness). There's also a weird mix of plain speech and 20th Century idiom, which sort of works--it's like you're watching a movie with a 1972 screenplay.

It's the 70's so the novel can take two pages to describe horses making their way through quicksand...so at some points, the writing is too slow, and then sometimes it's so chock-a-block with action, you're asking yourself "who is he talking about again?"

Who reads this book nowadays? It was really hard to find: not in the library or an audiobook or an e-book; it took several weeks for Amazon to get it to me. Infected with book lice, ruffled by a TSA guard, and soooo long, the book went through a lot this summer and I kept telling myself, "Nobel-nominated, crazy good reviews in the NYTimes back in the day!" It seems like something you would find on a bookshelf in a summer rental.  And so I persevered...it's like an amazing relic. Come for the Quakers, stay for the insane story. Taking off a star because of some...really distasteful scenes where I said, "should I really be reading this?" 

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been putting off this book for two years because of its size, and fear that it would be dry and hard to get through. Not at all true! A fictionalized history of Quakerism, The Peaceable Kingdom is just as wonderfully written as people claim it is. de Hartog has a true gift for storytelling. I was easily able to invest in the characters and the story, and the author kept me engaged the whole way. There was humor and moments that provoked tears. I especially loved seeing how a religion came to be, how man-made it was, organized by very flawed people aspiring their best to follow that of God in them, and not always getting it right. The good characters have flaws and the bad characters have goodness in them. I liked that this was a book chronicling the start of Quakerism without romantizing it too much. Though a Quaker classic, I imagine this book would be enjoyable to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially that of Colonial America.

[Faythe Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book at a thrift store years ago & it caught my interest, as I’ve been curious to learn more about the Quaker religion. This was a very long book with long chapters, which took me a long time to finish because of being so busy, but it is SO well-written & held my interest from beginning to end. It had a mixture of adventure, spiritual depth, drama, a little romance, a lot going on that made you wonder what might happen next. Great characters, interesting plot, & inspiring!

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long, tedious in places but lyrical and packed with fascinating history. I appreciated the descriptions of the wilderness just beyond Philadelphia and the vast prairie beyond. The interplay between indigenous people, slaves, Quakers, and Calvinists was fascinating but also appalling. That there were some settlements where all people lived together, albeit out of necessity, showed the ever present hope for coexistence.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really took me by surprise. I bought this book years ago and it has been patiently waiting on my bookshelf. I am pretty sure I bought it because there is a Rush song by the same name (which turns out to be totally unrelated).
This is a story of Quakerism told in a historical fiction format; specifically centered around the lives of Quaker women. This is really two books in one. The first takes place in 17th Century England at the birth of the Quaker movement. It is pretty well written and I enjoyed both the story and historical aspects of it, but to me the first story was really a set up to be magnificent, albeit much shorter, second story of Quakerism in 18th century America. This is where this book absolutely shines and is up there with some of the best books I have read. The writing is beautiful, brutal and painful, as are the subjects. Hartog, a Quaker himself, brilliantly delves into a no holds barred, warts and all story about how a group of Friends - Children of the Light - struggle with and handle the issue of Slavery. It's not pretty, and I very much respect the frankness in which it is explored. The Quakers are shown, above all, to be as flawed as the rest of humanity. Some of them are portrayed to have done down right monstrous things (like any other human, especially during the abominable time of slavery).
I don't think that Hartog could have written this book today - there would have been massive blow back against the language that he used, the concepts that are portrayed, and the brutal exposition of the thought processes of the day (many times characters in the story speculate if black folks are even human beings or not), all of these concepts clash painfully against twenty first century perspective, but the fact is Hartog needed to be historically accurate to effectively tell his story and examine the importance of the movement.

[Dawn Dorsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an ambitious novelization of the early days of the Society of Friends, dubbed Quakers. Part One starts in seventeenth-century Lancaster, where the movement took shape, with George Fox, the visionary, and Lady Margaret Fox, who developed its practical application in daily life. Part Two jumps to eighteenth-century Pennsylvania, on the brink of what Americans know as the French and Indian War, when European settlers were first venturing past the Alleghenies and onto the prairie, and at the same time settled societies, including Quakers, were struggling with the conflicting moral and economic issues involved in either keeping or freeing their slaves.

The story personalizes the social, political, and religious dilemmas of the day, showing those issues in light of how they affected the lives of everyday people. Pennsylvania had been founded as a Quaker colony, but by this time power was leaning toward more Anglican and Presbyterian settlers, and many people, including Quaker businessmen, wanted to move on from the original treaties of William Penn buying land from the Indians to expand the territory and business enterprises supporting Philadelphia. The treatment of history as a novel allows the author to bring it into a cohesive picture, but still convey the historical setting and social development.

Although de Hartog relates a fascinating time in history, the story seems to drag on somewhat, especially for a slow reader. He also describes this volume as only half of the story. Parts three and four, covering the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, are in another volume. Although I am interested to follow the story of the Quaker movement, I think I will have to take a break for something else before I seek out the next parts.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recommended to read this book by a fellow Quaker a couple of years ago, and until then had never heard of it. It was strange at first, reading a fictional account by someone from the USA about an old manor house in the north of England which I actually know very well. So I struggled with some location descriptions, but others I was able to clearly picture, having often been to those places. As to the story, it starts of quite deceptively, because one thinks it is going to be about Fox, but without spoiling the plot too much, it isn't. A solid historical novel set in turbulent times for adherents of new religious movements, and it must have been pretty scary for those of the old guard too, seeing these upstarts coming along. Well told, with lots of nicely drawn characters, and plenty of things to grab ones attention and keep those pages turning. Good stuff.
I was going for five stars, but then realised I haven't contemplated getting the follow-on book, so it couldn't have been that good.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part One of this book totally captivated me. I kept getting lost in the story, and couldn’t tear myself away. Did the British of the 1600's really hang children? Did they kill Quakers? The story was violent and graphic, but very well-told, and things eventually worked out well for the main characters. Part Two of the book takes place 100 years later, in America, and it isn’t captivating at all. It’s a sickening litany of murder, rape, torture, gay sex, mayhem, and cruelty. After a couple of chapters, I’d had enough.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a prequel to The Lamb's War. I didn't like it as well, but it was good in its own right. The best part was Margaret Fell's time in Lancaster Castle Prison where she chose to live with the children who were condemned prisoners. And the parts in Philadelphia were pretty good as the Quakers wrestled with the problem of slavery. But some parts dragged on for pages with no apparent point.

[Jennifer]

Founding of the Quakers in 1600s plus their descendants in America; slavery, Indians. So well-written. Characters are deep and three-dimensional, story is compelling. On top of that, took about two weeks to read.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread this again, still enjoy it

[Rebecca Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book many years ago. Being older now I can appreciate the depth of the historical, personal and spiritual struggles of the characters. Great story telling and character development.

[ANGELIA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel of George Fox and the Quakers (Society of Friends), as well as Margaret Askew Fell, who, along with her daughters, became a zealous member of the Society and later George's wife. gives a realistic portrayal of just how much people had to suffer for their faith and religious beliefs. It's not an easy read, and (as it's written by a man) this is no historical romance, despite the feelings that develop between George and Margaret. This is all about those who stuck to their guns, despite arrest, persecution, ridicule, ostracism, and everything else one's made to suffer when one dares to be different.

There's no glossing over things: one convert is assaulted, then finds herself pregnant with her rapist's baby; a young boy working as a servant is put in prison and sentenced to execution for defending himself against sexual assault by his master (not specifically stated, but strongly implied) and charged with murder rather than self-defense. The scenes where Margaret tries to give the tough yet vulnerable boy some spiritual (as well as maternal) comfort made me want to cry.

This is a very good book, but not an easy one to read, so if you're looking for something to entertain you in your leisure time, this is not it.

[Courtney Mauzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In addition to enjoying the drama in this historical novel about the Quaker movement I felt enlightened and challenged by some of the basics of Quakerism. First half of book set in London in 1652 and established the foundation of the faith when George Fox tells Margaret Fell that "man does not need God; God needs man." Quite a theological statement the basis of which is that each human already has the Spirit of God in him/herself and what we each need to do is to listen to that spirit and let it guide us in our daily living. The second half of the book is set in 1754 in Pennsylvania the home of the first Quaker settlement in America. The conflict within the Quakers centers around slavery and whether that meshes with the spirit of God.
My favorite readings are books that enlighten historical while telling an intriguing story along the way. This book did both throughout 783 pages.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Peaceable Kingdom is one of my favorite books. It tells the story of the Quakers in England and the USA. I found the Quakers in H.S. and decided they were my spiritual home. I came home to tell my father and he laughed and said well you didn't fall from the tree, there are many generations of Quakers in your family tree. This book was recommended to me in college by a professor and it enriched my understanding of Quaker history.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a very long and tedious book. I am not averse to long reads, but this book’s length diminished its story. It is not necessary to explain for 40 lines about why each character does everything in the book. It has some very good background on Quakers. Although I am a catholic, I have curiosity about other faiths.

[Steve Wegman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction built around the origin of the Quakers in England in the 1650’s and then picking it up again in the 1750’s after their migration to the Philadelphia area. de Hartog did a great job of capturing the feel of the time and place in both parts of this book. The American portion became a bit too dramatic/soap-opera-ish/stereotypical for my tastes, but all in all a good read.

[Norma Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

677 pages! But I'm glad I persevered.

[angie mohr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great read, but since it was so long, with 2 definitive parts, definitely should have been 2 books.

[Liz Bridgeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of George Fox and Margaret Fell, early Quakers.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a long adventure of a story, but a very satisfying read.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down one of the best books I have ever read