The Honorable Imposter, by Gilbert Morris, has been around for quite some time. It was originally published in 1986, and is the first book in the House of Winslow series, but I had not read it until this year. Even though I have read many other books in the House of Winslow, which covers the saga of the Winslow Family from the time of the voyage of the Mayflower by the American Pilgrims to the 20th Century, for some reason, I've overlooked the very first novel in the series. It probably didn't help that the time era in which it is set it not exactly my preferred era for reading about; I prefer books that are set in the Regency era, but also will read about books set in the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian eras. I'll even read historical western and prairie romances, but the ones I've read are usually set in the 1800's. Visiting the 1600's in novels hasn't been as appealing to me, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed reading The Honorable Imposter.
The story begins in England. Gilbert Winslow is a younger son and a bit of a rogue. His prospects are limited, and in spite of his roguish tendencies, he has been educated to be a parson. Gilbert is presented with the opportunity to join the ranks of the nobility by entering into the service of Lord North, who wants him to become the husband of his daughter, Lady Cecily. However, he needs to prove himself worthy to Lord North, who recruits Gilbert to find William Brewster, a fugitive from the King, because of his involvement with the Separatists and Puritans. Lord North wants Gilbert to infiltrate and spy on the members of Brewster's movement so that Brewster can be found and then arrested as a traitor to England.
Even though Gilbert is repulsed by the idea of infiltrating a group and then betraying his victim, he agrees to take on the mission. He gains entrance into the Separatist movement through his brother, Edward, who is sympathetic to Brewster's cause. Gilbert wrestles with his conscience because he fully realizes that he is spouting hypocrisy when he speaks the words that will gain him acceptance into the Separatist group. He also meets Brewster himself, and realizes that the man is not exactly the villainous character that he had believed him to be. Instead, Gilbert finds an honourable man of genuine faith. Significantly, through the Separatists, Gilbert meets Humility Cooper and is drawn to her, even though they stand on opposing sides with regards to their beliefs toward the established church. What will Gilbert do when the moment comes for him to betray the Separatists? Will he follow through with his mission and gain Lord North's favour and support in climbing the ranks of English society, or will he join the Separatists as they try to find religious freedom in the New World across the Atlantic Ocean?
My personal knowledge of American History with regard to the Pilgrims and their voyage on the Mayflower is pretty weak, so I wonder which connections to recorded history I am missing because I do not recognize names of real people and places that are mentioned in the story. However, I can appreciate the struggle that Gilbert Winslow faces throughout the novel. If I had to choose a verse from the Bible to summarize his dilemma, it would be Mark 8:36, which reads, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"
I also found it amusing and surprising to find out that the first Winslow in the House of Winslow saga was actually quite a rogue. Gilbert isn't interested in taking orders in the church; the man is quite a skilled fencer and is quite smooth in his interactions with Lady Cecily. It's funny to think that the Winslow Family, whose members' spiritual journeys are covered in the series, had a patriarch who was not a great spiritual paragon for much of the book. I can also appreciate the mention of Gilbert's cornflower blue eyes now a bit more, as mention of this physical trait appears in some of his descendants in later stories connected to the House of Winslow. Supposedly, the Winslow men are characterized by a tendency to fall deep and hard for one woman for life. I can't recall if this trait was mentioned in The Honorable Imposter, but it does appear in later books.
If you haven't read any books from the House of Winslow series, The Honorable Imposter is a good book to start off with as it is the book that kicks off the series. There is also a connection between the House of Winslow with the Cheney Duvall, M.D. series which is by Gilbert Morris and Lynn Morris.
