IN THE WAKE OF THE MAYFLOWER
The First Encounter

In the Wake of the Mayflower is the story of life after the Mayflower’s arrival–from The First  Encounter  through the 50 years of peace that ended with King Philip’s  War. It highlights the mutually-dependent relationship between the Pilgrims and the indigenous Wampanoags, documented in  Karen Rinaldo’s depiction of “The First Thanksgiving /1621.” This painting has been met with critical acclaim by historians, the National Park Service and Wampanoag leaders for its positive eye on the first decade of this “New World.”

The painting, a commission from the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (the Pilgrims Church), was designated a “Gift to the Nation.” It was the inspiration for the book. The National Museum of Illustration in Newport, RI, requested a reproduction  of the 1621 painting and the original artwork for the cover of the book to include in a 2021 exhibit titled “Equality  for All.”

Karen Rinaldo and Kevin M. Doyle, two lovers of history, collaborated to create the book with information collected over a span of 50 years. Their research of the 1621 painting directly influenced the authors; the 400th Commemoration of the Mayflower impacted the timing.

Karen is a visual historian whose work has been shown at Plimoth Plantation. Kevin writes and lectures on historic places and events. In the  Wake of the Mayflower is written in a vignette style and features lesser-known facts about the Pilgrim’s adventure and brief histories of all 15 Cape Cod towns.