Sailing to the New World in 1630 at the age of eighteen, Anne was among that first contingent of Puritan refugees leaving English shores between 1630 and 1642, an exodus known as The Great Migration. Her upbringing ill-prepared her for the circumstances she met: hunger, privations and death on every hand. Overcoming her early problems, together with cultural obstacles which discouraged women from venturing into academic realms, Anne Bradstreet secretly composed reams of verse. Printed in England without her knowledge or permission, her work brought her unexpected and astonishing fame as she became Americas first published poet one whose works are still in print today. More than this, Annes spirituality, her dependence on God in prayer, her constant desire to live as a pilgrim, evaluating her all: house, family, achievements in the light of that better world to come, is a challenge to our frequently materialistic, earthbound outlook.
