Out Front the Following Sea is a delight to read. It’s thoroughly researched but doesn’t get bogged down in historical facts. Set in 1689, during the King William’s War between French and English settlers, the novel abounds with adventure and romance as it deals with survival in colonial New England. The cold, harsh winters are enough to discourage all but the toughest settlers. The shifting of the political and religious climates, the war against the Native Americans, and the impending war provide ample sources of intrigue and action—along with the ever-present risk of accusations of witchcraft, treason, or heresy, particularly to women who don’t strictly follow the norm.
Ruth Miner is one of those women—a headstrong, independent female. Ruth lost both her parents in a fire for which she, despite being only six at the time, was blamed and branded as a witch (with a W on each inner thigh, so every man will know she’s a witch before he beds her) by the village. Now, at sixteen, she’s an outcast, an orphan living with her failing grandmother.
Ruth has an escape plan, one she drew up with the help of Owen Townsend, her childhood friend, and she leaves her village for another one, which she finds is no less bound by religious and military dogma than her former home.
This is an atmospheric read, so much so you can almost feel the bitter sea winds blowing. However, the ending of this tortured romance seems a bit unbelievable.
I have read several books with similar themes. You can find my review of The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant here. I also highly recommend Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Nasland, which I have not reviewed, but it is one of my all-time favorite books.
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Out Front the Following Sea (Regal House Publishing, January 11, 2022) s available through:
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