THE SPINSTER, THE REBEL, AND THE GOVERNOR

A historical novel inspired by the life of one of Maryland’s earliest English colonists.

Dietz, the author of The Flapper, the Imposter, and the Stalker (2017), fictionalizes the story of Margaret Brent, a wealthy Englishwoman who becomes a prominent figure in Maryland in the mid-17th century. The story opens in England, where she, along with the rest of her family, worries that her economic and social privilege may not protect her as the Protestant government increases restrictions on their Catholic faith. When her cousin Lord Baltimore encourages the Brents to consider moving to the Colony that his father established across the Atlantic, where Catholics are free to worship, Margaret is hesitant. She’s finally swayed by Baltimore’s offer of land and other rights to anyone, including women, who brings servants to settle in the Colony. Along with three of her siblings, Margaret travels to Maryland and settles into life in her new home. Although men far outnumber women there, Margaret feels that she should remain unmarried, both for religious reasons (to devote herself only to God) and to maintain her independence. She frequently appears in front of the Colony’s governing body, speaking on her own behalf as well as for other colonists in their disputes and petitions. Margaret also takes a role in the Colony’s relationship with neighboring Native Americans, even serving as foster mother to the daughter of a Piscataway chief who converts to Christianity. When conflicts with residents of other Colonies threaten the Colony, Margaret acts as a close adviser to the governor, and he names her as his representative when he dies, leading her to play an important role in saving the community. 

Although little of Margaret’s real-life history was recorded, Dietz does a good job of drawing on what’s known about her and about the early years of Maryland’s colonization to create a well-rounded, convincing portrait. Over the course of the novel, the author employs a great many vivid details (“His mossy-green silk doublet, embroidered with scrolls of golden-brown and pink-rose threads, emphasized his slashed sleeves, which in turn showed his ivory silk shirt beneath”) that bring everyday life in both England and Maryland into sharp focus. However, as a result, some readers may find the narrative to be overly wordy at times. The theme of women as a settling influence (“ ‘Worst of all,’ Margaret interrupted, ‘the country is overrun with irrational angry young men with no wives to settle them’ ”) appears throughout the book, offset by Margaret’s refusal to be anyone’s spouse, which makes for an intriguing contrast. The novel sticks closely to its protagonist’s perspective, so it does not address colonization from the point of view of the Indigenous characters, and no mention is made of enslaved people, who were also present at that time and place. For the most part, though, the book is sweeping in scope, covering Maryland’s foundational years from the perspective of a woman who played a crucial role in its existence.

A robust imagining of the life of a largely unsung hero.