Only Brave Tomorrows

From My Historical Fiction Shelves . . .

ONLY BRAVE TOMORROWS

by Winifred Bruce Luhrmann

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1989

I found this book at a thrift store and thought it sounded good.  ONLY BRAVE TOMORROWS is the story of a 15-year-old girl, Faith, who travels to New England in 1675 during King Philip's War.  King Philip was the Wappanoag Indian leader who waged a year-long war against the English colonists.  Faith's father is a pious Puritan who is zealous not only about his religion but about the New World, and is determined to settle in one of the Massachusetts colonies, despite the Indian warfare.

Although the main characters are fictional, real historical characters are mentioned, such as the minister Increase Mather, and militiaman Captain Turner.  This is the only novel I could find published under the author's name of Winifred Bruce Luhrmann.  On the back leaf of the dust cover the author says that she got the idea for the book, in part, from her own family genealogy.  Her family has records indicating that they may be descendants of Metacomet, known to the English as King Philip.  She states that she wanted the New England life of the complex Puritans and the equally complex Native Americans to "come alive."

I enjoyed the book.  It was a good, easy read with realistic characters.  The story is well told, and the main character shows the type of strength and determination I like to see in the character of a young girl in a novel like this.  I would let my 12-year-old daughter read this, and I believe she would enjoy it.  It is not deep, although it covers a very bloody action during America's early years. 

My copy, as I said, is an ex-library copy in good shape with a well-maintained dust jacket.

Tags: Only Brave Tomorrows, Winifred Bruce Luhrman, King Philip's War, Metacomet, New England