Mary (White) Rowlandson, later Mary Talcott (c. 1637January 5, 1711) was a colonial American woman. She was captured by Indians during King Philip's War. She was held in captivity for three months before being ransomed. Six years after her ordeal, she wrote "The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson". It was published in 1682. This text is considered an American leader in the literary genre of captivity narratives. It went through four printings in 1682. It was widely read in colonial New England and in England. It is considered the first American "bestseller."