Historical Novel / Literary
Date Published: October 22, 2025
The Radiance of Grace is the powerful, true story of Mary Dyer, Katherine Scott, and Anne Hutchinson—three extraordinary women whose faith, friendship, and moral courage challenged the rigid Puritan authority of 17th-century New England.
More than 150 years before the American Constitution, these Boston women stood for freedom of religion, conscience, and speech, refusing to surrender their personal relationship with God to institutional control. Their activism—rooted in scripture, compassion, and community—sparked social and political reform at a time when women were expected to remain silent.
Leading Bible studies attended by more than 150 people each week, they became influential voices within their communities. When Puritan leadership responded with harassment, exile, and public punishment, the abuse meant to silence them instead strengthened their resolve. Their lives intertwined with men who admired them, men who despised them, and families who endured the cost of conviction.
Drawing from **extensive historical research—including journals, court records, letters, and firsthand accounts—**and woven together with informed imagination, Margaret Cotton brings these overlooked women vividly to life. Their story reveals the deepest roots of American liberty and challenges modern readers to consider:
● What does it mean to live faithfully under unjust authority?
● How far are we willing to go for freedom of conscience?
● What is the personal cost of standing for truth?
● Women’s history
● Early American and colonial history
● Faith-based and Christian nonfiction
● Social justice and religious freedom
● Readers drawn to untold stories that shaped the foundation of America
It is time to hear their true story.
