The most recommended Puritans books

Who picked these books? Meet our 50 experts.

50 authors created a book list connected to the Puritans, and here are their favorite Puritans books.
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What type of Puritans book?

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Book cover of The Scarlet Letter

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was little, I would draw for hours, captivated by the female experience. Art, film, and literature focused on womenā€™s lives have always felt the most compelling to me. Whether itā€™s gazing at a woman painted centuries ago, watching a film about a woman navigating her time, or reading a book that delves into her inner world, Iā€™m drawn to their stories. Their complexities and imperfections are often what I love most. This lifelong fascination has shaped my career. Whether illustrating fashion, designing book covers, or authoring my own books, the emotions and experiences of female characters inspire me, fuel my creativity, and remind me of the power and importance of their stories.

Samantha's book list on classic fiction featuring female heroines: stories that transport you into their hearts, minds, and the eras they inhabit

Samantha Hahn Why did Samantha love this book?

Hester Prynne embodies the archetype of a subjugated heroine trapped in an oppressive society, yet her story is deeply inspiring. Her resilience and quiet defiance against the hypocrisy of her community make her an incredibly compelling character.

What resonates with me most is her profound love as a mother. No matter the shame or suffering imposed upon her, the bond with her child strengthens her and affirms her unwavering sense of self-worth. Hester knows who she is and refuses to let the world define her. Her daughter, Pearl, is her anchor, her light, her ā€œsunshine,ā€ and the center of her world. As a mother, I deeply relate to this. My family is my greatest joy, my raison dā€™ĆŖtre. Hesterā€™s story reminds me of how fortunate I am and how a motherā€™s love can transcend even the darkest circumstances.

By Nathaniel Hawthorne,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Scarlet Letter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An "A" for "adultery" marks Hester Prynne as an outcast from the society of colonial Boston. Although forced by the puritanical town fathers to wear a bright red badge of shame, Hester steadfastly resists their efforts to discover the identity of her baby's father. The return of her long-absent spouse brings new pressure on the young mother, as the aggrieved husband undertakes a long-term plot to reveal Hester's partner in adultery and force him to share her disgrace.
Masterful in its symbolism and compelling in its character studies, Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale of punishment and reconciliation examines the concepts of sin,ā€¦


Book cover of The Puritan Princess

Sara Read Author Of The Gossips' Choice

From my list on biofiction of historical women.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a literary historian who works on the history of womenā€™s reproductive bodies in the early modern era. I am also a debut novelist who has used my many years of researching the seventeenth century to bring to life the story of a seventeenth-century midwife. My own novel is not a bio fiction in the strictest sense of the term (novels with a named protagonist who was a historical figure) but it is based on the published works of two contemporary midwives, Jane Sharp (fl. 1671) and Sarah Stone who worked in the early part of the eighteenth century. I love reading works where other authors have brought to life figures I both research and teach.

Sara's book list on biofiction of historical women

Sara Read Why did Sara love this book?

This is the chance to read about a woman on the side of Cromwell and Parliament during the English civil wars. It imagines the life of Oliver Cromwellā€™s youngest daughter, Frances, later Lady Rich and Lady Russell (1638ā€“1720). It describes the reign of Cromwell, life in the court of the protector, and the end of the commonwealth following her fatherā€™s death. The story is told by Frances herself and features a twist about the real fate of Cromwellā€™s corpse at the end.

By Miranda Malins,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Puritan Princess as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Power, passion and a devastating fight for the crown - discover the gripping story of Oliver Cromwell's youngest daughter. Perfect for fans of Anne O'Brien, Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory

'A powerful and superbly researched historical novel' Andrew Taylor, author of The Last Protector

1657. The youngest daughter of Oliver Cromwell, eighteen-year-old Frances is finding her place at England's new centre of power.

Following the turmoil of Civil War, a fragile sense of stability has returned to the country. Her father has risen to the unprecedented position of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, and Frances has found herself transported fromā€¦


Book cover of The Ambassadors

John Carroll Author Of The Wreck of Western Culture: Humanism Revisited

From my list on the search for meaning in an age of unbelief.

Why am I passionate about this?

My abiding interest is in how people find meaning in their lives in a post-church, secular world, and what happens when they fail. I have concluded that life needs to be seen as an arc leading to significant end; it needs to be experienced as a coherent story. The vital role of culture here is in providing archetypal stories, usually from a long time ago, but ones constantly retold and brought up to date, which provides background shapes to identify with, armatures as it were. I've explored these challenges in a series of books: Ego and Soul, The Western Dreaming, The Existential Jesus, and soon to appear, The Saviour Syndrome.

John's book list on the search for meaning in an age of unbelief

John Carroll Why did John love this book?

In Henry Jamesā€™ masterpiece from 1901, Lambert Strether, aged 55, is a Boston Puritan who hasnā€™t lived. He travels to Paris on an ambassadorial mission.

From the moment of arrival in Paris he is beguiled and intrigued, but unclear what to do. He proceeds to meander through gilded French drawing rooms in which high aesthetic taste of both manner and dƩcor presides. This quiet and modest outsider eventually fills out into the man who runs the show.

Strether has discovered what to know, who to choose, and when to move. Everything depends on it. The method must be learnt in the thick of lived life along the way.

Here is evidence of the existence of a god within, a wisdom of soul with a coherent vision of what matters, one that slyly directs the focus of the person walking confusedly in the world, leading them to move with discrimination.

By Henry James,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ambassadors as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The original American in Paris. This dark comedy, seen as one of the masterpieces of James's final period, has all the elements of great writing, brilliant plot and gorgeous setting- An Edwardian gentleman from the States arrives in seedy and sophisticated Paris to rescue his wayward future step son. But his innocent American background has not prepared him for such seduction...
Beautiful hardback gift edition of this collectable classic.

This complex tale of self-discovery -- considered by the author to be his best work -- traces the path of an aging idealist, Lambert Strether. Arriving in Paris with the intentionā€¦


Book cover of Caleb's Crossing

Amy Belding Brown Author Of Flight of the Sparrow: A Novel of Early America

From my list on New Englandā€™s forgotten conflict.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write historical fiction set in New England and based on the lives of real people. My New England roots go back to the 1630s when my English ancestors first came to the region so Iā€™m steeped in its traditions and literature. I love doing the research for my books, especially when my characters lead me in new directions. I spent ten years digging into the conflict between the Puritans and the indigenous Natives and in the process discovered a largely forgotten story that has long-lasting implications for our day.

Amy's book list on New Englandā€™s forgotten conflict

Amy Belding Brown Why did Amy love this book?

When Calebā€™s Crossing came out I couldnā€™t wait to read it. Not only was it written by one of my favorite authors, it was inspired by a true story and set in the same place and time period as the novel I was working on. Brooksā€™ depiction of the love between a Puritan ministerā€™s daughter and the son of a Wampanoag leader is fraught with tension as two very different cultures collide. The novel brings to life the forces driving the conflict through the characters of Bethia and Caleb as they struggle to navigate a perilous time and the looming prospect of war.

By Geraldine Brooks,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Caleb's Crossing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A bestselling tale of passion and belief, magic and adventure from the author of The Secret Chord and of March, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

Bethia Mayfield is a restless and curious young woman growing up in Martha's vineyard in the 1660s amid a small band of pioneering English Puritans. At age twelve, she meets Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a secret bond that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's father is a Calvinist minister who seeks to convert the native Wampanoag, and Caleb becomes a prize in the contestā€¦


Book cover of The Scarlet Letter
Book cover of The Puritan Princess
Book cover of The Ambassadors

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