Franklin Author Explores Hannah Duston Tale

Franklin-born author Dave O. Dodge is using his latest historical novel to revisit one of New England’s most disputed colonial figures: Hannah Duston. A May 30 profile in the Concord Monitor said Dodge’s book examines the 1697 captivity and escape story that has made Duston both a celebrated survivor and a target of criticism in New Hampshire. (concordmonitor.com) Dodge released the novel, “Hannah: One Woman’s Quest for Vengeance and Freedom,” on March 24, according to his website. (daveododge.com) Hannah Duston’s story has remained contentious for centuries because it sits at the intersection of frontier warfare, captivity narratives and anti-Native violence. (balinbooks.com) Smithsonian Magazine, citing the historical record, said Duston was taken during the March 15, 1697 raid on Haverhill, Massachusetts, after a group likely made up mostly of Abenaki attackers struck the settlement during King William’s War. The account says Duston later killed and scalped 10 Native Americans while escaping captivity. (concordmonitor.com) ### Who is the writer behind this new retelling? Dave O. Dodge is a New Hampshire native who has written earlier biographical novels about Grace Metalious and Betty Hill, according to his author website. His site says he now lives in Mérida and describes “Hannah” as his third biographical novel. Emilia Wisniewski’s May 30 Concord Monitor story identified Dodge as Franklin-born and framed the new book as an attempt to examine how a person responds under extreme conditions. Dodge’s own description says he was interested in “the person within those contradictions,” referring to Duston’s place “between documented fact and enduring legend.” (smithsonianmag.com) ### Why does Hannah Duston still provoke argument in New Hampshire? Boscawen has remained a focal point in the debate because a monument to Duston stands there on a small island north of Concord. Smithsonian said the 25-foot granite statue was erected in 1874 and depicts Duston holding a tomahawk and a fistful of scalps. (daveododge.com) The Concord Monitor reported in January 2026 that the Hannah Duston statue in Boscawen would remain in place after a removal effort was overtaken by a proposal for an advisory council and an interpretive site. (concordmonitor.com) A separate Concord Monitor report from 2022 said Duston’s legacy has continued to evolve in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where descendants, historians and Native voices have argued over how she should be remembered. ### What does Dodge say his book is trying to do? Dodge’s website says the novel explores “survival, trauma, and moral ambiguity” and aims to re-examine a figure whose life has been “flattened into symbols.” He writes that Duston has been “cast as both heroine and villain,” and says he wanted to look at her as “a woman of flesh and blood navigating fear, loss, captivity, retribution and the brutal choices she had to make.” (smithsonianmag.com) Balin Books, which is hosting Dodge this month, describes the novel in similar terms. Its event listing says the book follows Duston’s capture by Abenaki people during the 1697 raid on Haverhill, her journey north and her escape, and says the novel explores “the moral ambiguity born of violence.” (concordmonitor.com) ### What are the basic historical facts the novel is built around? March 15, 1697 is the date most commonly attached to the raid on Haverhill that set the story in motion. Smithsonian’s account says 27 colonists were killed and 13 taken captive in the attack, and that Duston had given birth about a week earlier. (daveododge.com) The same account says Duston was marched north with fellow captive Mary Neff and later left with a Native family and another English captive, 14-year-old Samuel Leonardson. Duston, Neff and Leonardson eventually killed 10 of the 12 people in that group and escaped by canoe, according to the article. (balinbooks.com) ### Where can readers hear more from Dodge next? June 12 is the next public date attached to the book. Balin Books says Dodge is scheduled to discuss “Hannah: One Woman’s Quest for Vengeance and Freedom” at a store event listed on its calendar. (smithsonianmag.com) March 24, 2026 remains the book’s release date on Dodge’s website, which says the novel is available now. The Concord Monitor profile published May 30 is the latest local report tying the Franklin-born writer to the renewed debate over Hannah Duston’s place in New Hampshire history. (daveododge.com) (balinbooks.com) (smithsonianmag.com)