Why read A Measure of Light?

Book cover of A Measure of Light

Book description

With Beth Powning’s trademark elegance and insight into the hearts and minds of unforgettable women, A Measure of Light brings to life an extraordinary historical figure.

Mary Dyer is a seventeenth-century Puritan who flees persecution in England, only to find the colony of Massachusetts Bay as dangerous as the country…

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Why read it?

1 author picked A Measure of Light as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Laurie Marr Wasmund

Author

I studied the Puritans years ago in college as an English Literature major, but I never understood how punitive and unforgiving they were until I read Beth Powning's wonderful work of historical fiction. A Measure of Light is the story of true-life Mary Dyer, who cannot reconcile her conception of a loving God with the Puritan ideal. At great cost to her family and self, she defies the Puritan authorities of Massachusetts to promote Quaker beliefs. Powning writes with stunning clarity and purpose, leading the reader to weep, rejoice, and suffer with Mary. Highly recommended.

From Laurie's 3 favorite reads in 2026.