i hate to spoil this for some, but this IS fiction...the introduction from allison ellman is, um, part of the book. she didn't really find mary's journal sewn up in a quilt. ok? good.

after her grandmother is hanged for witchcraft, mary sails to america, thinking she will be safe there. she keeps a journal of the passage and journey to the settlement of "beaulah," where she finds the people just as close-minded and witch-spooked as the ones she left behind in england.

after reading rees' "pirates!", i was hoping for some more spunky girl-adventure goodness, and didn't really find it here. mary was brave to keep a journal, but she still doesn't really say what she's thinking-- i had to read between the lines, and i never found out what was really going on with most of the characters. there is another book in the series but i'm not sure if i'll read it...