The Reluctant Pilgrim Review 2025
The Reluctant Pilgrim is an excellent work, based on true historical accounts from Governor William Bradford’s journal. David Lucas assisted his wife, Leanne, with the research for this book. Leanne’s writing style brings the characters to life and draws readers into the story as if they are there witnessing the events. I found it difficult to put the book down, and hope a series will come out of it. This is definitely a treasured classic in our family library. And there are several things fellow Biblical Classical homeschoolers will love about this literary work.
(Full disclosure per the FTC: I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
Christian Founding 1620 Era
on the History of Liberty Timeline
Providential History
Listen to EP 148 and get to know Leanne and David Lucas. Also enjoy some behind the scenes info about the writing process for “The Reluctant Pilgrim.”About Leanne and David Lucas
Leanne and David Lucas are dear friends to our dear friends Susan and Bill Burtness. Bill is also one of my mentors.
Leanne’s Childhood Influences
From Leanne’s website:
“I grew up in Manito, a small town in central Illinois. Many days I would come home from school, get my snack off the kitchen table, join Mom in the ‘big’ living room, and we would both read until it was time to start supper. I learned very early to associate reading and books with love and comfort, and I will always thank my mom for that.”(1)
Eventually, her love of reading turned into a love of writing literature for others to enjoy.
Leanne’s Literary Works
Leanne has also authored The Addie McCormick Adventures, middle-grade Christian mysteries. Her website states that she also currently has several works-in-progress. Two are middle-grade mystery novels and one is a picture book. She has also created a screenplay of the Pilgrim adventure–based on The Reluctant Pilgrim—sharing about the established Christian roots of America. I would absolutely love to see the Kendrick Brothers or Sight and Sound Films pick up their manuscript and create a marvelous film based on this book.
David contributed to the free Protestant Reformation Story online course at Biblical Classical Community. If you haven’t listened to it, hop on over there to catch the course. Also be sure to take advantage of the free online course, The Pilgrims: A Model of Christian Character.
About The Reluctant Pilgrim
From the back of the book:
“Sometimes life comes down to one choice – a choice that can change everything.
For Bess Tilley, a young passenger on the Mayflower, the choice is to remain in the New World or return to the old. To return with the ship means a return to family, friends, and the familiar. To remain means hardship, hunger, and sacrifice in a volatile world.
Bess chooses to remain in the small colony of New Plymouth, unwilling to abandon her parents’ dreams of religious freedom and civil liberty. The steadfast support of another colonist, John Howland, and the unexpected friendship of their Wampanoag translator, Squanto, offers stability in a life turned upside down.
But life in the New World remains harsh. Conflict with other tribes and a summer drought threaten the colony’s existence. Will these unrelenting threats to life in the New World crush her stubborn self-reliance? Or will she find the loving God her parents knew and make their faith her own?”
Leanne’s love for God and family, of learning and literature, shine through in The Reluctant Pilgrim. But there’s more that my readers will value about her book.
Why My Readers Will Appreciate The Reluctant Pilgrim
Some parents might not consider the surprising companionship of literature. However, Biblical Classical homeschoolers comprehend the value of wisely choosing the kind of literature their children read. The Reluctant Pilgrim is among some of the excellent works written by a modern-day author for the following reasons:
- It’s based on America’s primary resources.
- Themes of a love and reverence for God and His Word, brotherly love and kindness, Christian character, practicing self-government, patience, and a love for liberty.
- A love for America’s Christian heritage is evident.
- Struggles are realistically portrayed.
- The characters look through a consistent biblical worldview lens.
- The conflict with some of the Native Americans is handled truthfully and respectfully.
- Several characters are relatable.
- There isn’t any worldly “romance” or indecency in the story.
That being said, some of my readers will appreciate a heads up about one scene in particular, before opening the pages of this book.
A Scene To Be Aware Of
There is a scene where a sailor is irreverent toward God in his speech. The author’s aim is to accurately depict the reality of the degraded character of an unsaved sailor, and the conditions in which the Pilgrims lived on the Mayflower. I imagine the Pilgrims—parents and children alike—heard much, much worse from unregenerate sailors and passengers.
My point in mentioning this is to make parents aware. I know some parents are sensitive to such things and might like to skip this part while reading the book aloud to their younger children:
“By god’s blood, if he’s so danged almighty, why didn’t he keep the beam from crackin’ in the first place?”(2)
For youth, this is a good opportunity for parents to discuss the harsh realities of unregenerate hearts and minds. It’s also a great opportunity to discuss with them how the Pilgrims carried themselves as children of God in such an environment.
Leanne’s literary track record is one of excellence. In The Reluctant Pilgrim, she honors her conscience before God and men by producing a story that is true, morally good, and beautiful. Additionally, it’s a gripping account.
The Reluctant Pilgrim is a Gripping Read
Oftentimes, we can have quiet and peaceful images in our minds of the Pilgrims gathered together to pray, worship, and beseech God for mercy. These are true concepts. But there’s also the reality of uncertainty, a longing for the comforts of the world, danger, struggles against the sinful nature of man and the elements of nature, human emotions, the practice of governing their emotions, and the sincere desire to have their minds renewed and their lives transformed. Leanne’s gripping account details these realities, as well as the reality of God’s providence and brotherly love in community. Leanne Lucas holds the attention of the reader as she gives vivid descriptions of events and interactions among the characters.
It definitely receives five stars from our family! And we look forward to reading more books by this author.
Purchase the Reluctant Pilgrim
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Website
Leanne Lucas’ is a children’s author and you can learn more about here at her website >>> https://leannelucas.com/
Follow Leanne Lucas on Instagram >>> https://www.instagram.com/lucasleanneauthor55/
Follow Leanne Lucas on Facebook >>> https://www.facebook.com/leannelucaswriter/?ti=as
Footnote 1: Leanne Lucas (n.d.), (retrieved 11-20-2025), About Me, Leanne Lucas, https://leannelucas.com/about
Footnote 2: Leanne Lucas, (Homer, Illinois; Garner Hall Press, 2025), p. 53.
