In 1616, England is a nation lurching toward crisis. King and Parliament are locked in a struggle that will determine the nature of her government for centuries to come. It is a battle between the old world of royal despotism and something new-a reordering of power and privilege fueled by science and faith. The arena for this conflict ranges from the pulpits in every parish to the palaces of the King. One young man, a tailor's son, finds himself with a front-row seat to the conflict. He recognizes that the outcome may create opportunities undreamt of for those willing to take a risk. He also sees the consequences of making the wrong wager. Ultimately, he must choose a side in the conflict.

This is the story of that young man: the risks he takes, the choices he makes, and the consequences - consequences that are with us today. As his life unfolds, he challenges the limits of class and tradition, the unexpected twists of mortality and treachery, and the limits of cleverness and talent. In the end, his destiny is discovered in completely unexpected places, far from home. Such is the spirit of his age, so moves the Spirit of his God.

His name is Roger Williams. He is remembered today for what he has come to represent in the founding of America, with little regard for how he earned that place in our imagination. This book is an attempt to imagine what it could have been like to live as he lived and walk the path he walked.

I am a child of the 50s; a "boomer" - a History buff and storyteller who especially likes stories that explain something about who we are and how we got here. My writing incorporates my love of history with my family genealogy - my ancestors actually lived through the events of this book.