Eve LaPlante
AMERICAN JEZEBEL: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans (HarperOne, 2004, 2005)Featured on NPR's "The Connection," Comcast-TV's "Nitebeat," and WCVB-TV's "Chronicle." "A BEST NONFICTION BOOK of 2004." Christian Science Monitor "Fast-paced and elegant... A first-rate biography..." Publishers Weekly, starred review "To all those teachers around the country who have asked me: what true heroes can I tell my students about? I would reply: tell them about Anne Hutchinson. And read Eve LaPlante's biography of her to make her and her courage come alive." Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States "A stunning book, exquisitely written, that fills in a crucial piece of American history. A founding mother, Anne Hutchinson exemplifies the best in the American spirit. She's a woman everyone will want to -- and should -- know about." Carol Gilligan, author of In A Different Voice "LaPlante, the master of biography as thriller, tells a familiar story with a novelist’s panache... An enthralling narrative." New York Sun "Drawing on a staggering amount of historical detail, 12th-generation descendant Eve LaPlante plots her forebear’s downfall with the vivid immediacy of a novel." BookPage "What makes American Jezebel so extraordinary is how LaPlante enables Hutchinson to come alive through her own words... LaPlante's vivid account... renders her subject not as simple saint or sinner, but as a textured human being." Ted Anthony, Canadian Press "LaPlante paints a fascinating portrait of this complex mother of 15 and... deftly depicts the girtty world of colonial New England." Booklist "A powerful biography of a woman who refused to still her voice." Dallas Morning News "This terrific book is New England history at its best. But it carries with it a message for today as well. Once again America faces the same question that the Bay Colony faced: liberty versus security. Let's hope that the lessons of Anne Hutchinson's banishment are not lost on those entrusted with ensuring that we are both strong and free." Michael Dukakis, former Governor of Massachusetts “American Jezebel offers a spirited biography of Anne Hutchinson, a stirring figure who pushed the limits of Puritan dissent and paid heavily for it. Hutchinson’s story has often served as an emblem by which to take measure of the public voices of women in American culture, and LaPlante’s rendering suggests how deeply resonant that history remains.” Leigh E. Schmidt, Princeton University “Anne Hutchinson, New England's foremother and Harvard's midwife, is here rescued from a Puritan obscurity and reintroduced to 21st-century America. Her passionate, nonconformist intelligence makes her the most significant woman in pre-Revolutionary America, and she has much more to offer than Jezebel!” Reverend Peter J. Gomes, author of The Good Life "This vivid and richly documented book tells the nearly incredible story of a woman who managed, in a male-dominated, religion-obsessed world, to shape the future of New England and New York." Susan Quinn, author of Marie Curie: A Life “A discursive and charming exploration of the life and times of Anne Hutchinson – by a descendant. A personal and appreciative tribute.” Edwin Gaustad, coauthor of A Religious History of America "Valiant and remarkably successful... LaPlante is particularly good on the sexual mores of the Puritans." Laura Miller, Salon "Fascinating... electric... A rare and charming glimpse into the pleasures of a historian's detective work." Christian Science Monitor "Well worth reading... Anne Hutchinson is among the most-neglected, most important figures in United States history." Nick Gillespie, Reason Magazine "Powerful characters, a compelling tale, and a strong narrative writer in LaPlante... [This] fascinating book deserves wide reading. It shows religious zealotry in an American context,... from the inside out." Boston Globe "Dazzling... Splendid..." Book-of-the-Month Club "Eve LaPlante throws us into the action and weaves us carefully into Hutchinson's world in England, Boston, Rhode Island, and New York... Finally, an author has given us a meticulously-researched guided tour with maps... In this book the early 1600s come alive... the living habits and the obsession with religion. Thank you, LaPlante, for clarifying the long civic and church trials of Anne Hutchinson, making them lively and readable..." The Friends of Anne Hutchinson, Portsmouth, RI Contents of American Jezebel A Note on the Text Introduction 1. Enemy of the State 2. This Impudent Puritan 3. A Masterpiece of Woman’s Wit 4. Strange Opinions 5. The End of All Controversy 6. As the Lily Among Thorns 7. From Boston to This Wilderness 8. A Final Act of Defiance 9. Not Fit for Our Society 10.The Husband of Mistress Hutchinson 11.An Uneasy and Constant Watch 12.A Spirit of Delusion and Error 13.A Dangerous Instrument of the Devil 14.The Whore and Strumpet of Boston 15.Her Heart Was Stilled 16.This American Jezebel Exploring Anne Hutchinson’s England and America Illustrations Chronology Genealogy Acknowledgments Bibliography Index |
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