Book cover of Sex in Middlesex: Popular Mores in a Massachusetts County, 1649-1699

Book description

"Thompson analyzes the court records of 17th century Middlesex County, searching for such sexually related crimes as fornication, breach of promise, sexual deviancy, and adultery. His findings help shatter the traditional historical caricature of New England Puritans as patriarchal, dour wife-beaters and child-abusers, a myth eloquently created by Perry Miller…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Sex in Middlesex as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Well, the title was amusing. The rest of the book was fascinating, alarming, and totally surprising for an author who was researching the lives of Puritans in early New England. The public records, Puritan laws, along with Thompson’s analysis opened up a world of new information and removed every myth I’d heard about these staunchly religious people.

From Karen's list on 17th century America.

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