Act of Oblivion: A Novel

In 1660, Cromwell and his protectorate have fallen and Charles II is on the throne. The men who overthrew Charles I are now wanted for regicide, traitors rather than heroes of the faith. Two of them, Ned Whalley and William Goffe, managed to flee to the American colonies in hopes of escaping with their lives.

However, they are pursued by Richard Nayler, who will stop at nothing to bring them to justice.

Overall, I enjoyed the book as a fascinating look at a part of history I’m already a little familiar with. Those who have more knowledge about the Restoration may well beg more out of it, but even those who only know the basic facts (or who want to do a quick Wikipedia skim for a little background) will enjoy it. My one complaint was that it did not feel as urgent as I had hoped. There was high tension, but the quiet moments dulled it more than they provided a respite. In addition, I had some trouble remembering who was who.

My final thoughts, though, are that Act of Oblivion was a very interesting read, and I’m glad I picked it up.