Memories Of...
That belief is at the heart of my book Memories of..., a fictional biography inspired by the life of John Punch - a man whose story sits at a pivotal moment in early American history.
What drew me to him wasn't just the historical record (which is frustratingly thin), but the silences in between. The unanswered questions. The human possibilities.
One of those possibilities struck me deeply: John Punch had a wife - a young white Christian woman - and a son. Their union was unusual for the 1640s, and the laws and attitudes around race and religion were tightening fast. She would have lived with the fear that their marriage wasn't recognised "in the eyes of God."
And that led me to a powerful question: Why would a man risk everything - even death - by running?
The official record calls him a runaway. But what if he wasn't running away at all? What if he was running toward something - toward faith, toward legitimacy, toward giving his wife the spiritual peace she desperately needed?
In my novel, John hears that a priest is coming to the colonies. He runs not to escape his family, but to seek permission to convert, to marry properly, to protect the woman he loves from the crushing weight of religious guilt.
It's a story built on real history, real tensions, and real human emotion - and the gaps in the record give room for a narrative that feels both authentic and deeply moving.
If you enjoy:
Historical fiction that explores the human side of history
Stories that fill in the silences with heart and imagination
Characters caught between love, faith, law, and survival
A narrative rooted in real events but rich with emotional truth
...then I'd love you to read Memories of... for yourself.
Sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones history forgot to write down - so we write them now.
Buy and read, now and let me know your thoughts.
- Carol M. Mottershead
Customer Reviews
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