This collection includes four narratives, the most famous of which is Mary Rowlandson's. Other narratives include those of Madam Knight, Elizabeth Ashbridge, and Elizabeth House Trist. All of the narratives are complete (with the exception of a few spots where diary entries were smeared/damaged beyond recognition) and unabridged with careful footnotes, and each narrative also has an extensive introduction that gives in depth context to the life and history of each woman, as well as the perceived value of the text. For anyone interested in these narratives who doesn't have a heavy background in either American history or geography, I'd say these introductions are invaluable and worth reading before delving into the respective narratives.

Writing and subject-wise, each narrative in some way addresses movement and transgressions across classes, though this happens the least in Knight's work, where she only addresses the subject in regard to marriage. More common are themes of difference, race and sex perception, and religion. While these aren't works I'm likely to come back to, they were worth looking into as a peak into an earlier time and as a individualized history lesson. If you're interested in women of early America or in Women's narratives, I'd suggest these. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't be of interest (or hold attention). As a collection though, and as historical documentation, this work is well put together with an eye toward contextualizing and making relevant each text in the contexts of women's narratives, American history, and travel writing. ( )