The Peaceable Kingdom: An American Saga
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The Peaceable Kingdom: An American Saga (1972) is a historical novel in two parts by Quaker author Jan de Hartog. It describes the first meeting of George Fox and Margaret Fell, the latter's conversion, and a portion of the history of colonial Pennsylvania.
Terry Linkletter of Amazon.com has said this about the novel: "de Hartog's novel is the best way to learn what it means to be a Quaker. By looking through the eyes of fictional characters, he takes you deep into events (some true, some mythical) in the lives of George Fox, Margaret Fell, William Penn, John Woolman, and other prominent members of the sect, so you can feel the spiritual ferment of Cromwell's England, the American colonies, and the young USA. You will see a gentle Quaker farmer come to grips with the evils of slaveholding and see how it came to be that these people led the way in opposing that institution. Perhaps not surprising at all is to learn how it was the Quaker women who made the faith's continuous message of justice and non-violence a successful influence on an injust, violent society."
The allure of the novel is in the characters' metamorphosis from self-serving often dislikable characters, to people who work for the good of others. The story shows the precedence of Quaker prison reform and social justice. It also illustrates plain speech and gives a fairly accurate portrayal of a Quaker Meeting.
