I would highly recommend to you all a relatively new book published just this year: "The Widow's War" by Sally Gunning. Although the name Chase is not mentioned, and the book is set at Point of Rocks, Brewster, Satucket Village, the heroine of the story is one Lyddie Berry - and of course, the Chases married into the Berry family and vice versa. "In a small Cape Cod village in 1761, one woman is about to engage in the struggle of her life, defying her friends, and neighbors in a fight for her freedom that resonates even today......[ 39 year old] Lyddie has long [ 20 years] been the wife of Edward Berry, a well-liked and successful whaler....But when the unthinkable does happen and Lyddie finds that she must bear not only the grief of losing her husband, but also the insult of losing her autonomy. As a widow, she finds herself cast into society's cellar, her property and her rights now at the whim of her nearest male relative." This is the way to make learning history exciting and personal as one really learns about the customs and mores of the times and what dower rights really mean. I bought an autographed copy of the book in Chatham, MA in early April - and saw it just last week in my local Barnes and Noble bookstore in Los Angeles. Also, another interesting book just released and reviewed in today's NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/04/books/04masl.html?_r=1&oref=slogin ): MAYFLOWER A Story of Courage, Community and War By Nathaniel Philbrick Illustrated. 461 pages. Viking. $29.95. As many of you may remember, Nathaniel Philbrick wrote the wonderful book "In the Heart of the Sea" about Owen Chase and the loss of the whaleship Essex, upon which tale Herman Melville based his book "Moby Dick". I haven't read this book as it has just been released - but I certainly plan to! Judy Chace Needham