Heroic Souls: Records of Trial from Thomas Shepard's Church in Cambridge, 1638-1649

The most exciting find in the records of puritan minister Thomas Shepard (Cambridge, 1638-1649) are the voices of the women who came to tell him their stories of spiritual seeking. Serving women, elderly widows, young wives and mothers, daughters of powerful men—all told stories of heroic seeking that feature their independent labor in reading, praying, listening, asking questions, and making meaning in a world narrowed down to just the seeker and her God. Heroic Souls, by Lori Rogers-Stokes, brings you these women’s stories—their lives and passions, and the super-charged energy for change, discovery, and meaning that they embrace.