The Mooring Tree: A Story of Jamestown

by Gertrude Robinson

Silas Ware and his son, Jason, had planned to sail to the New World together to claim the land granted to them in the Jamestown settlement. But when his father is wrongfully imprisoned, young Jason must embark upon the long and lonely journey without him. Upon arrival, the settlers are shocked to find Jamestown mysteriously deserted! While the others lose all hope, Jason remains steadfast. With help from some new friends, Jason is determined to build the life that he and his father dreamed of, hopeful that they will one day be reunited.

Genres: Historical Fiction

167 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*, history read aloud with 13 yr old daughter. It felt choppy as it went from event to event, often skipping many years. I didn't enjoy it as a read aloud and still felt it would be confusing as a personal read due to how it is structured. It spans from when the male MC is 12 to 18 or so, but you don't get to know him super well or feel like you experienced much through him. I loved Chanco so much and Matoaka. I also liked the storyline about the pigs coming across the sea with Jason but then they become more of an afterthought as the story progresses. I was really hoping for more from this book.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story to learn and appreciate the historical Jamestown settlement!

[Stephanie VanAlmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

My girls were not fans. They said it was boring.

[Bella Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not very entertaining, but historical

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this as part of our homeschool history curriculum and enjoyed it. It's a fictional story based on historical Jamestown.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved:
- That this story painted a more accurate and fair picture of the characters of history: not all settlers were bad, nor were they all good and not all Native Americans were bad, nor were they all good.
- That the main character's best friend in the new world is a Native American.
-The rich vocabulary of words in this book that are uncommon to find in other books.
- How it incorporated Native American customs so the reader could learn about them and also about the way of life then.

Recommend for:
- Homeschool
- Ages 8+
- History: 1600s, Jamestown

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical fiction of the Jamestown settlers. It was gentle enough for children but interesting enough for adults.