Early American history is by nature confusing and subsequently dull to most readers. Ms. Vowell's book changes the stereotype and along the way corrects a few misconceptions. Her always readable style is a combination of personal experience, acerbic reflections, and sound--if not extensive--scholarship. Her humor is well directed and always a pleasure to read, and her passion for the early Americans is obvious. It is much like a conversation with a very bright and witty friend. In all, it is an excellent and spirited introduction to the people, indignities and aspirations that still shape the American character. Perhaps her only lapse is a failure to talk about American Puritan beliefs on sexual conduct. Were they as repressive and rigid as we now imagine? Whatever they were, they are still part of us.

I really enjoyed this book. I have also enjoyed Vowell's other books but for some reason, I couldn't put this one down. I've always been fascinated with this country's relationship with religion and the mix of religion and government. This book tells the story of some crucial original settlers and the complex role religion played in forming the values of the United States in a very entertaining and relevant way. I couldn't put it down and it inspired me to do my own additional research. LOVED IT!

I really wanted to like this book more than I did after having a friend give it glowing reviews and seeing an interview with the author on the Daily Show. I thought I'd enjoy this much more listening to the audio version read by the author in her little girl lispy voice and her droll humor. However, I found my mind wandering too much away from the book and into my own thoughts as I listened. Also, whereas with a book I could have thumbed back through to remind myself who was who and what was what, it's impossible to do so with an audio book. And when you're driving, you can't very well go google maps and wikipedia to get all the many Johns, place locations, and dates straight in your mind.

In this novel, Vowell mainly focuses on the Puritan group led by John Winthrop. I wish there had been more structure in the book. There didn't seem to be any sort of chronological or otherwise logical order to her subjects. I had hoped for more information about the settlement about their colony, the extremity of the puritan religion, and their relations with the Native Americans than I got from this book. In the end, I think I came away with the following impressions from the book:
1. John Winthrop's Puritans are different than the ones that first settled in the New England and, while they did undergo hardships in which at least one person in every family died within the first year, they didn't have the make same type of horrific adjustments to the New World that the first settlers did.
2. Sarah Vowell is in love with John Winthrop but thinks he is kind of an awful guy nonetheless.
3. Sarah Vowell is in love with the concept of the USA being "a city on a hill" ordained by God even though she's embarrassed at the pompous arrogance of the idea.
4. Winthrop's Puritans loved to banish people and were only religiously tolerant if you believed like them.
5. John Winthrop's puritans would likely banish today's spiritually-minded experience-driven evangelicals for their beliefs.
6. I'm never listening to a history audio book again.