It's a gem of a book.

Dr. Boomgaarden has given us an updated edition of the text with guidelines for reading and profiting from this pioneering work one of the first Jesuits in North America.

Lawatsch-Boomgaarden writes that ‘White not only enjoyed the advantages of Jesuit training, but also had additional access to the great humanist traditions of Europe. His Relatio itineris in Marilandiam stands as a significant document in the classical tradition of the English colonies of North America.’ Through her lucid translation, it is now accessible to a wider audience.

The Relatio… records the fascinating start for what was to become the structured Catholic Church in the United States. Lawatsch-Boomgaarden has presented the story in a most appealing form.

Everything but a dry and factual report, the Relatio is often reminiscent of Vergil’s Aeneid and the Trojans’ wanderings in search for a new home. One of the many parallels is a portrayal of storm at sea, while descriptions of weird and wonderful phenomena abound: there are descriptions of flying fish, tropical birds, giant cabbages, sulphur mountains and even cannibals… The whole work is pervaded by a sense of White’s purpose, his missionary zeal and his trust in God: in this way it becomes a spiritual document as well. Little touches of humor delight the reader… Written in lucid, sophisticated and elegant prose, the work exhibits some lyrical passages, such as the description of a pineapple … A tightly knit unit, Lawatsch-Boomgarden’s book contains an extensive introduction with historical as well as biographical information, a selected bibliography, a text accompanied by copious notes and vocabulary, an English translation, and, as pièce de resistance, a photographic reproduction of a handwritten manuscript by a contemporary copyist. The clarity of its style, the theme of the work and the human interest of the subject make the work eminently suitable for use not only in American schools and colleges, but it can also be most highly recommended as a prescribed work in any country of the world.