Seduction. Spies. Sodomy. Starvation. Severe cold. Indian Attacks. A plague of sickness and death. And a love story, too.

Isaac Stanfield is a young man with a thirst for adventure. He leaves his home to become a sailor on a merchantman, the Sweet Rose, and through ingenuity and sheer luck, finds himself in the middle of the drama and explorations that precede the departure of the Mayflower for New England in 1620. Exploration is Isaac’s coming-of-age story, capturing the turbulence of the times through his observations and experiences.

Suspenseful, poignant, and expertly researched, David Tory’s novel brings to life an engaging cultural history of English seafaring exploration and intrigue in the early 17th century.