The Mary Reynolds papers are comprised of six letters written home by a missionary and teacher in Turkey. The Reynolds letters offer an insight into one woman's view of the missionary endeavor and local occurences.
The collection consists of six letters, five addressed to Reynolds's sister and brother-in-law, Lucy (Reynolds) Root (1789-1871) and John Root (1789-1855) of Greenwich, Massachusetts, and one to her sister Martha Reynolds (1795-1832).
Major events discussed in Reynolds's letters include outbreaks of plague and cholera in Smyrna and other Ottoman cities, an 1831 fire that destroyed most of the Pera district of Constantinople, and a visit by missionary Joseph Wolff (1795-1862). One letter also discusses the appearance of a volcanic island off the coast of Sicily (likely Graham Island which subsequently sank back into the ocean) as told by two English travelers.
The letters' primary focus is Reynolds's missionary efforts and her devotion to God. She often expresses joy in the prospect of heaven and her daily prayer, hymns, and school teaching. Reynolds's religious views permeate every aspect of her life and she often considers events as divinely ordained- the Pera fire she attributes to the sins of its inhabitants such as British ambassador Robert Gordon's infidelity. Her piety does target Protestants she deems not faithful enough as well as members of other religions including Greeks, Catholics, Armenians, and Jews. She also discusses the ongoing war with Egypt (First Egyptian-Ottoman War) and related impressment and taxation by the Turkish government.