Author Description

Mary White Rowlandson (1637-1711) was a colonial American woman who was captured by Native Americans during King Philip's War. After her release, she wrote a book about her experience, Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, considered a seminal work in the American literary genre of captivity narratives. Her book earned Rowlandson an important place in the history of American literature. It became one of the era's best-sellers, going through four editions in one year. The tension between colonists and Native Americans, particularly in the aftermath of King Philip's War, was a source of anxiety. People feared losing their connection to their own society. They had great curiosity about the experience of one who had been "over the line", as a captive of American Indians and returned to colonial society. Many literate English people were already familiar with captivity narratives by British sailors and others taken captive at sea off North Africa and in the Middle East. Finally, in its use of autobiography, Biblical typology, and homage to the "Jeremiad", Rowlandson's book helps the reader understand the Puritan mind.