The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower, or John Howland's Good Fortune

Written & illustrated by P.J. Lynch

An indentured servant's survival on the Mayflower leads to unexpected challenges in a new world.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 561 ratings

64 pages· 6,615 words· Est. 51 min read-aloud

$19.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

John Howland, an indentured servant on the Mayflower, narrowly escapes death at sea. As he lands in New England, he faces the harsh realities of Pilgrim life. Can his luck hold amidst the perils of this new world? Experience his journey through his own eyes, capturing the essence of a young man's adventure and survival in a pivotal moment of history.

From the publisher

In the first book he has both written and illustrated, master artist P.J. Lynch brings a Mayflower voyager’s story to vivid life.

At a young age, John Howland learned what it meant to take advantage of an opportunity. Leaving the docks of London on the Mayflower as an indentured servant to Pilgrim John Carver, John Howland little knew that he was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. By his great good fortune, John survived falling overboard on the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, and he earned his keep ashore by helping to scout a safe harbor and landing site for his bedraggled and ill shipmates. Would his luck continue to hold amid the dangers and adversity of the Pilgrims’ lives in New England? John Howland’s tale is masterfully told in his own voice, bringing an immediacy and young perspective to the oft-told Pilgrims’ story. P.J. Lynch captures this pivotal moment in American history in precise and exquisite detail, from the light on the froth of a breaking wave to the questioning voice of a teen in a new world.

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