First Lady of Jamestown: A Historical Romance Based on the Life and Adventures of Anne Burras, the First Englishwoman to Survive the New World

by Tracy D. Smith

Based on the true life story of Anne Burras, First Lady of Jamestown shares the excitement, sorrow, and grit of 17th Century Jamestown. When tragedy strikes, young Anne is left as the lone woman among hundreds of men in the fledgling Virginia colony, forced to forge a new life for herself despite the confines of her culture and gender. From heartache to love, and from tragic loss to heroic survival in the harshest of conditions, Anne's determination and fortitude through her life's challenges inspires all who learn of her story.

Readers have described First Lady of Jamestown as a riveting tale of early American settlement that is engaging, heart wrenching, and heartwarming. Discover Anne's life for yourself and witness the extraordinary capacity of an ordinary person who endured it all and became the first Englishwoman to survive the New World.

Genres: Historical Fiction

290 pages, Paperback

Published February 10, 2024

About the author

Tracy D. Smith is a historical fiction author with a background in education. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Brigham Young University-Hawaii and her elementary teaching license and master's degree in teaching from Western Governors University.

Tracy is the author of, First Lady of Jamestown and The Timeless Adventures of Kiki and George series. Her third book, Threads of Faith, is in the process of being published with Cedar Fort Publishing.

She is the podcast host of History's Unsung Heroes and a mother of three. Her favorite pastimes are playing volleyball, board games, cards and spending time at the beach or a lake with her family and friends. She has two very active dogs and loves living near the mountains in beautiful Utah with her husband and children.

Reviews

[Pamela Merrill]

What an amazing story!

The characters seem to come to life. I feel as if I know and love the Burras and Layton families. Thank you for clarifying what was fiction and what your sources were! I'm ready for another book!

[Jessetta Peterson]

As a debut historical account, this was very interesting. Left a lot of things unanswered however, and I would have enjoyed a more in-depth fact vs fiction part in the back. I have never really studied the lives of the first settlers of Jamestown in depth, so this was an eye-opening perspective. There were times where I disagreed with the displayed fictional emotions and reactions of the main character, as well as disagreed and felt disappointed by the portrayal of her first home birth, but otherwise found it to be a very interesting read.

[Rebecka Norton]

A wonderful, simple read about the beginnings of the Virginia colony at Jamestown in the early 1600s. Perfect for late elementary-aged students to become more familiar with this topic—especially the life of women during this time. My critiques are 1) the characters felt a little flat to me, 2) as an adult the dialogue between characters was not very interesting, and 3) I would have liked to have had more details and proof in Anne’s actions/conversations about how she was brave instead of just telling me that she was.

[Kimberly King]

Wow. I learned SO MUCH from this book! I had no idea 1 difficult the settlers had it when settling Jamestown. What an INCREDIBLE story --full of adventure, heartbreak, and finally triumph. This story was incredibly well-told, and kept me flipping through the pages, anxious to find out what happened next. I highly recommend this book!!

[Michelle]

This was a great book about Jamestown! I truly would have given it 5 stars if a small thing was fixed. I was always taught that if there is a dialogue between two people, you should start a new paragraph when the other person starts talking. Two people speaking in the same paragraph is confusing to me and it probably is to others, too.

[Madeline]

3.5 stars! It was very fast paced (I would’ve liked a little more details) and there were lots of typos but I loved the story!

[Jordan Anderson]

Amazing!!

Such a great read I couldn’t put it down!!! I love the incorporation of the letters and thorough enjoyed the book as a whole, very well written!

[BookNerdette]

Thank you to the Author for all your research. This was an easy read and it went fast. I started this morning and finished it this evening.💕

One LESS on the paperback TBR shelf.📚
✨ A Great read! This is a keeper for the top shelf in my library.

[Dona]

Oh my. I couldn't put it down. I loved that it transported me back to the Jamestown I remember and love. The scenes I could see play through my mind as if I were living there at the same time. Amazing work!

[Michele]

I learned a lot and enjoyed the book. Thought she did a great job for a first book. So glad I got to know the First Lady of Jamestown.

[Alexis]

Great first novel! I learned alot about the first settlers in Jamestown I didn't know before.

[Keshia]

The story was alright. The history was very interesting!

[Laurie Brett]

Very well written. It describes the Indian and new settlers situation very clearly. Such a hard life.

[Reuben Wadsworth]

Wonderful insights into early Jamestown.

[Veronica Gliatti]

Do not take my word on the rating because everyone else loved it, but for me, it was good but not worth 4 stars.

It was interesting and there were a few new things in it I learned. It was nice to have the story of early colonization told in the form of a story esp. when she, Anne Burras was a true character. You could definitely sense the author put a great deal of research into this book. I think it would be real suitable for a teen or early adult group.

I didn't find a lot of character depth in anyone in the book, not even with the main character. It did move quickly but skimmed over some things and went quickly through others. The author stated in the back pages to to taking liberties in the story but I think that actually helped make it more interesting.

It is a fast read and if you don't know or remember much about the starting of this country, reading this and refreshing your memory may serve the purpose of you having more appreciation for what the earliest Americans endured so we could have a future here. Build up America and not tear everything we hold dear apart. It clearly shows the problems too with strict ruling by a very few in power.

[Laine]

First Lady of Jamestown was an interesting read, especially since it’s based on a real person, but I had kind of mixed feelings about it.
The historical setting was definitely one of the strongest parts. Life in Jamestown feels harsh and unpredictable, and it really shows how difficult it would’ve been to survive back then, especially as a young girl. Knowing that Anne Burras was a real person made it even more interesting.
Anne herself is easy to root for. She’s thrown into a really tough situation and has to grow up fast, which I liked. Her resilience is probably the highlight of the book.
That said, some parts felt a little rushed or underdeveloped, especially when it came to relationships and emotional moments. I wanted a bit more depth to really connect with everything that was happening.
Overall, I’d still recommend it if you like historical fiction, especially stories about strong female characters and survival. It’s a quick read and has a solid premise, it just didn’t fully hit as hard as I wanted it to.

[Nona]

This novel follows the life of Anne Burras in 17th century Jamestown. After the death of her mistress, Anne became the only woman in the Jamestown colony. The story progresses as we read about Anne and her determination to not only just survive, but to thrive in her new home despite the gender and cultural constraints during that time.

I am a sucker for historical fiction, especially historical fiction that has been well researched. I had the opportunity to meet the author and listen to how thoroughly she researched and prepared for this novel. You can really see her hard work as Tracy dedicated herself to deliver a memorable story with many true historical ties. If you are a history buff and love a good story, this book is for you!

[Chris Strache]

I be didn’t realize this is a YA book, but I enjoyed it anyway. It tells the story of a family in Jamestown-how they got there, what it was like…The author explains at the end the details of what was actually documented and what was invented. Overall, an easy read that gave me information on what it was like for these early settlers.

[Donna J]

I enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction. The author noted what was fact and what was fiction. It was about a young girl brought as a lady’s maid to Jamestown. Her struggles as a pioneer. Makes you very thankful for whomever in your family was brave enough to face very difficult situations to bring about a better life for their family. A very startling reminder for todays world.

[Mackenzie]

The narrative writing was very weak but I give it an extra star for women’s representation and the fact vs. fiction section in the back.

[Cindy Neal]

I love historical fiction, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put it down.

[McKell Clyde]

I met Tracy a few months ago at my neighborhood book club. She told me about her book, and I immediately added it to my TBR list.

I really enjoyed getting a peek into Anne’s life and the early days of Jamestown. I thought she found a good balance of not making light of the tragedies while making it appropriate for a younger audience. She captured the emotions of things I have experienced myself well, including falling in love, childbirth, motherhood and miscarriage.

I will definitely read this with my kids when they are a little older while we study this period of history.

I also really liked the fact vs fiction breakdown at the end.

[Arianne Houser]

I loved how honest this book is, nothing sugar coated or unexplained, but completely appropriate to be read aloud with upper elementary students. It finds a great balance between a simple love story and very difficult and real situation! I love the maps and artifacts, as well as the fact vs. fiction section. The story is beautiful, explains women's role back then, and what was unhealthily expected of all the men and women in Jamestown. I learned a lot, and couldn’t put it down. It left me craving more books just like it.

[The Happy Booker]

YA historical fiction representing Anna, sent to Jamestown as an indentured servant from London. Seemed to me to be written by AI inclucing the book cover. A book club choice.