First Lady of Jamestown: A YA Historical Fiction Novel 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

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2025

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!

[Rebecka Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Jessetta Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Keshia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was alright. The history was very interesting!

[Laurie Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Chris Strache · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Reuben Wadsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful insights into early Jamestown.

[McKell Clyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.