After her grandmother is tortured and murdered as a witch, Mary Newbury escapes England disguised as a Pilgrim headed for the New World. She finds that her new companions can be just as rigid in their rules and narrow-mindedness, and she must watch herself and hide her abilities as best she can.
Written as a series of diary entries found in later years, this YA novel does a good job of giving a sense of urgency to the story; I found myself rooting for Mary from the first page and worrying for her safety in nearly every page thereafter. It also showcases the ridiculous amount of danger the simple fact of being a woman could place you in and the insanely various forms that danger could take, from childbirth to accusations of witchcraft for appearing to be too smart or too independent for your gender.