Saints & Strangers is a novel that goes beyond the known historical history of Thanksgiving and the founding of Plymouth Plantation, portraying the struggles and tribulations of the Plymouth settlers: 102 men, women, and children who embarked on a rented ship to a place they had never seen. Half of this group consists of religious separatists who gave up their former life for a single cause: religious liberty. The other half, referred to as strangers, consisted of mercantile adventurers with less spiritual and more materialistic goals. This clash of values generated significant inner conflicts for the group as they sought to build a new colony, and their connection with the nearby Native American tribes further complicated matters. These groups' competing loyalties culminated in tests of assimilation, religion, and compromise that continue to define our country to this day.