The Sovereignty and Goodness of God

The Sovereignty and Goodness of God is a captivity narrative by Mary Rowlandson, a colonial-era woman who was kidnapped and held for ransom by Native Americans during King Philip's War. First published in 1682, it was one of America's first bestselling books. The Sovereignty and Goodness of God sometimes goes by the title A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.

On February 10, 1675, Native Americans attack the British settlement of Lancaster in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They set fire to the buildings and shoot the settlers. Among the wounded are Mary Rowlandson and her youngest daughter, Sarah. Several of the settlers lose their lives, including Mary's brother-in-law. The Natives take a number of survivors as captives, including Mary and her three children. They lead them from the settlement into the heavy woodland, and from there, they separate Mary and her two older children, but she and Sarah stay together.

They spend their first night in another British settlement, this one abandoned when word of the attack first spread. The next morning, they venture deep into the forest; the journey is long, arduous, and painful, especially for the wounded Mary and Sarah. They travel throughout that day and the next before arriving at Wenimesset, an Indian village. Mary meets Robert Pepper, another captive, who provides reassurance to the newly arrived group. They remain in Wenimesset for several days, and on February 18, Sarah succumbs to her wounds and dies.



Mary's captor sells her to Quannopin, who is from the Sagamore tribe and related to King Philip. Quannopin ensures that Sarah receives a proper burial. Needing her family in this time of grief, Quannopin allows her to see her oldest daughter, also named Mary, and also held captive in Wenimesset. While there, her son Joseph arrives for a visit from a neighboring settlement where he is being held. The elder Mary is in anguish over what has become of her family.

As Mary's personal losses mount, the Native Americans continue their attacks on British settlements. They kill and wound settlers and pillage the remains of the villages. On one of these raids, the Natives steal a Bible and give it to Mary. The book proves to be her salvation, giving her newfound hope in such a bleak and despairing experience.

Soon, Mary and her fellow captives are again put on the move, and the Natives separate Mary once more from her family. They move in a northwesterly direction, and after a four-day rest, they start picking up considerable speed. Mary thinks that British forces must be on their track given how fast the captives are now ordered to move.



The group crosses the Baquaug River with the British fast on their heels. Unfortunately, the British can't cross the wild river, giving the Native Americans ample time to force their captives further toward the northwest.

Once they reach the Connecticut River, the Native Americans announce their intention to cross it to meet King Philip at a prearranged rendezvous point. However, scouts from the British forces teem the area, and the group must disperse into the woods to evade detection.

Eventually, Mary and the rest of the group cross the Connecticut River. They meet up with King Philip at a settlement there. In exchange for food, Mary sews clothes for the Native Americans. She longs to go home, but her captors gradually push the group further toward the south—and further away from civilization.



When her captors return with stolen horses from a raid on the settlement of Northampton, Mary requests that they take her to Albany on horseback, suggesting that they sell her in exchange for gunpowder. Her requests are ignored, however, and they continue to shuttle her in various directions, seemingly with no plan to return her. Nevertheless, at one point, she meets another captive, Thomas Read, who tells her that her husband survives. Along with her Bible, this news provides significant hope and comfort.

At last, the group pushes eastward. The Native Americans arrange to meet in the village of Wachuset. There, the council will address the matter of whether to return Mary to freedom. The journey to Wachuset is exhausting, but Mary holds onto the possibility of release. She talks to King Philip, and he assures her that her release is imminent.

The council attempts to negotiate with Mary's husband, eventually asking for a ransom of 20 pounds. Plans derail as attacks on settlements continue and the group is again forced back into the forest.



Soon, a non-captive John Hoar arrives to negotiate with the council to secure Mary's release. Though it takes several days to accomplish, her captors eventually set her free. She goes first to her home in Lancaster and finds the entire settlement abandoned. From there, she goes to Concord, then on to Boston. Mary and her husband reunite. Weeks go by, and Joseph and young Mary return, as does Mary's sister, who was also taken captive. The reunified family, strong in their bonds with one another and in their faith, build a house in Boston and begin a new life.