Mary deals with multiple deep themes. These include witnessing to those of a culture other than one's own, accepting non-Christians' way of life as one is witnessing and modeling Christianity through doing life together, being true to one's beliefs, and forgiveness. The book gives an honest portrayal of Native customs relating to coming-of-age, courtship, and marriage, including the use of abortifacient herbs. While McNear does not write explicit scenes, neither does she shy away from reality, a reality that in many ways was not so different from our current society's. While historians do not know exactly what became of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, McNear uses the information that is known to create a plausible tale of the colonists and the Croatoan tribe developing a friendly and mutually supportive community, which began with the colonists receiving the greater degree of support.
In her first book in this series McNear focused on Elinor, the real daughter of Governor John White. In this second book the focus is on Mushaniq, the fictional daughter of Manteo, the real Native who had earlier accompanied a group of Englishmen back to England. Mushaniq's story involves the merging of the two people groups through the Native's acceptance of Christ and the intermarriage between the groups.
I enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to fans of historical fiction. I do suggest reading Elinor prior to reading Mary for achieving the best comprehension and enjoyment. I would not recommend the book for readers under the age of sixteen. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Mary from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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