Mary White Rowlandson
Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
"Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson" by Mary Rowlandson is a memoir published in 1682. During King Philip's War, Rowlandson and her three children were captured by Native Americans after an attack on their Massachusetts settlement. Held for ransom for eleven weeks, she endured injury, separation from her family, and the death of her youngest daughter. Her account of survival, faith, and eventual release became one of America's first bestsellers and a foundational example of captivity narratives.