A Review of The Last Pilgrim

I’ve been missing from my blog for a while due to writing (imagine that!). But Teagan Geneviene gifted me with a review of my book The Last Pilgrim by D. L. Finn today, so I decided to share it. With a promise of more posts to come! Thank you, Teagan, and especially Denise!!

“The Last Pilgrim” is an amazingly detailed and well-written story focused on Mary Allerton Cushman’s life. Four-year-old Mary and her family were on the Mayflower, wanting to start a new life with the freedom to practice their religion. They squeezed together below deck with many other families, enduring limited food, water, and no hygiene. The boat faced various obstacles, such as sickness and scurvy, but upon reaching land and finding a suitable place, the survivors had to hastily construct a shelter for the cold winter. They were a hardy group who not only pulled together to accomplish their survival, but I found it captivating how they pieced together a group of people with a dream of a better life into a functioning society. What caught my attention was the strong women with limited voice or rights. They were equal in the colony’s success as the men and, at times, surpassed them. Some medical treatments and punishments given to lawbreakers made me cringe. Mary’s daily life and the surrounding people were as fascinating as the politics and religion. Although a long read, I didn’t even notice because I was so drawn in. I can highly recommend this historical fiction!

P.S. I am often asked about the cover. It is an oil painting by an artist Mary Smith from an idea that I had. I have the painting on the wall in my office.

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