The Colonial Leaders series offers two different perspectives on the Plymouth Colony founded by the Pilgrims. One book looks at Miles Standish, the "Stranger" who was the colony's military leader, while this volume tells of story from the perspective of the colony's governor, William Bradford, one of the "Saints." So instead of focusing on military exploits and relationships with the Indians, this juvenile biography by Marianne Hering deals with the religious life of the colony and what they did to survive in the New World. Bradford was raised in an Anglican family who intended for him to be a shepherd, but the young boy insisted on becoming a Puritan, eventually joining the Separatists who fled to Holland to escape persecution. This book talks about the voyage on the "Mayflower," the Mayflower Compact, and the peace treaty with the Indians. Bradford was not the colony's first governor, but assumed the post when the first one suddenly died and it was then that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated. It was under Bradford that the colony expanded and Hering focuses on some of the basic democratic principles embodied in his decisions. This book is illustrated with historic pictures of the Pilgrims as well as contemporary photographs of the Plymouth Plantation recreation that tourists can visit. Even more than being a satisfactory juvenile biography of Bradford, this is one of the better histories of the Plymouth Colony that I have read. One of the interesting sidebars in this book dispels some of the myths about the Pilgrims that we remember each Thanksgiving.

I bought Dogwalker. I opened Dogwalker. I read Dogwalker. I want more! The characters in Dogwalker are some of the best and oddest I've ever encountered. They make you laugh out loud and would probably make you cry if they were not so damned emotionless. It is the lack of emotion in the characters of Dogwalker that allow Bradford to write in his simple, unassuming, mutant-dogs-are-an-everyday-occurence style. For those who have been dissapointed with Bradford's simple prose, I think that it is the perfect style for his stories and characters. Beautiful prose and long flowing sentences would have buried the unique characters that he invented. Bradford is friends with and received glowing back-cover blurbs from Dave Eggers, David Sedaris, Zadie Smith, David Foster Wallace and Matthew Klam. For an added treat, check out Bradford's website...and listen to him perform "Rosalyn's Dog" or see him at a live reading.

DOGWALKER is a gently surreal book that is refreshingly different from anything other fiction being written right now. Bradford brings back some welcome influences -- Denis Johnson of course, but also Richard Brautigan, fanciful Pynchon, sedated Palahniuk -- and, like these writers, allows himself to be goofy in a rare, un-self-conscious way. It's too bad he's been lumped in with the Eggers & Co -- makes for some good blurbs on the back of the book (from some great & appropriate writers, i.e. Zadie Smith & DFW), but obscures the fact that something going on in these stories that's much more original and affecting than anyone else contributing to McSweeney's (Eggers included). Bradford has a distinct, original voice with a perfect, carefully cultivated flatness. Occasionally it begins to sound like it might be coming from a narrator a few bong hits past, um, sharp, and that in turn sometimes comes off as laziness on Bradford's part, but I think a word like lopiness is more appropriate -- it's not in a hurry and it's not showing off, but eventually this writing's going to take you somewhere you've never been in fiction. And if you have a chance to see Bradford read in person, take it.

This is a wonderul collection of stories. David Foster Wallace hits the nail on the head when he says that reading Bradford is like having lunch with the part of you that dreams at night. Strange things occur and exceedingly pleasant, non-neurotic first-person narrators react as you would in a dream: they note the odd situations they find themselves in but then move on (with wonderful results). It's like being able to slow your dreams down--not to mention remember them--and savor all the strange details. The writing is also blissfully clean. I noticed one of the comments above mentioned Bradford's sideburns. I saw a reading and let me tell you: his gums are not to be believed (let's pray he keeps his teeth). See a reading if you can, and enjoy the book, it's well worth a read.