What do you think?
Rate this book
White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
One of the most haunting mysteries in American history - The Lost Colony of Roanoke comes roaring back to life in White Seed, with a compelling cast of characters, among them - Maggie Hagger, indentured Irish serving girl, a victim of rape and intimidation, driven to desperate action against a tyrant when all around her have lost hope, Manteo, the Croatoan interpreter for the English, an inhabitant of two worlds, belonging to neither, who longs for love and acceptance and finally finds it in Maggie's arms, John White, ineffective Governor, painter and dreamer, drawn to the brink of insanity and back in his efforts to rescue his people, Captain Stafford, a brave, disciplined, but cruel soldier, with the seeds of class hatred imbedded in his soul years earlier, and Powhatan, the shrewd Tidewater warlord who wages a stealthy jihad against the colonists, waiting to ensure they have truly been abandoned before launching his final assault.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
164 people are currently reading
1375 people want to read
About the author
Paul Clayton
13 books76 followersPaul Clayton is the author of a three-book historical series on the Spanish Conquest of the Floridas ― Calling Crow, Flight of the Crow, and Calling Crow Nation (Putnam/Berkley), and a novel, Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam (St. Martin’s Press), based on his own experiences. Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam was a finalist at the Frankfurt eBook Awards, along with works by Joyce Carol Oates (Faithless) and David McCullough (John Adams). Paul's historical novel, White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, was a semifinalist in the Amazon ABNA awards, a Readers Choice Bronze Medalist, an Honorable Mention at the San Francisco Book Festival, and a Finalist at the International Book Awards.
Paul writes sci-fi/fantasy as well, his latest works include: Strange Worlds, In the Shape of a Man, Van Ripplewink, Crossing Over, and Talk to a Real, Live Girl.
Paul currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his son and daughter.
Paul writes sci-fi/fantasy as well, his latest works include: Strange Worlds, In the Shape of a Man, Van Ripplewink, Crossing Over, and Talk to a Real, Live Girl.
Paul currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his son and daughter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
November 19, 2010
I have now read this historical novel two times in as many years, and enjoyed it more the second time through.
The story captivated me, not only because the romanticized tale of the Lost Colony was part of every kid's education when I was growing up in North Carolina in the 60s but also because the version told here is far more likely to be accurate.
There is of course a great deal that we cannot know when dealing with events from the distant past, and especially when the facts have always been cloaked in mystery. I suppose the objective in historical fiction is simply to propose a plausible scenario, and that certainly is what we have here.
What's most notable about this treatment is the fact that the people most in a position to serve as guiding lights to the colony, Governor White, the pastor, and the other gentlemen, seem to have an odd sense of melancholy from the beginning -- almost an expectation of the worst. Their gloom and sense of futility overshadows any optimism that one might expect colonists to feel when embarking on such an adventure, and it renders them ineffective leaders, powerless in confronting the rascal posing as ship's captain and the insolent Captain Stafford -- sometimes unable even to look such people in the eye. I found no explanation for this in the text. It's critical, because this factor, coupled with the woeful lack of support back in England in terms of dishonest merchants who failed to provision them adequately and a strangely disinterested Sir Walter Raleigh, essentially dooms the colony. Add in the unnecessarily wretched relations with the local tribes and the distraction of England's hostilities with Spain and we see a recipe for utter disaster.
Most of the above is probably in the history books. Clayton's novel centers on a few of the blameless individuals who bore the brunt of all that went wrong. It alternates scenes in which the abandoned colonists scan the horizon month after month after month in hopes of seeing a sail with the unending disappointments Gov White runs up against as he attempts to organize a resupply voyage, never suspecting the ulterior motives of his only supporter. Finally, it shows a way things might have worked out that I find entirely acceptable. This is what historical fiction is all about!
The story captivated me, not only because the romanticized tale of the Lost Colony was part of every kid's education when I was growing up in North Carolina in the 60s but also because the version told here is far more likely to be accurate.
There is of course a great deal that we cannot know when dealing with events from the distant past, and especially when the facts have always been cloaked in mystery. I suppose the objective in historical fiction is simply to propose a plausible scenario, and that certainly is what we have here.
What's most notable about this treatment is the fact that the people most in a position to serve as guiding lights to the colony, Governor White, the pastor, and the other gentlemen, seem to have an odd sense of melancholy from the beginning -- almost an expectation of the worst. Their gloom and sense of futility overshadows any optimism that one might expect colonists to feel when embarking on such an adventure, and it renders them ineffective leaders, powerless in confronting the rascal posing as ship's captain and the insolent Captain Stafford -- sometimes unable even to look such people in the eye. I found no explanation for this in the text. It's critical, because this factor, coupled with the woeful lack of support back in England in terms of dishonest merchants who failed to provision them adequately and a strangely disinterested Sir Walter Raleigh, essentially dooms the colony. Add in the unnecessarily wretched relations with the local tribes and the distraction of England's hostilities with Spain and we see a recipe for utter disaster.
Most of the above is probably in the history books. Clayton's novel centers on a few of the blameless individuals who bore the brunt of all that went wrong. It alternates scenes in which the abandoned colonists scan the horizon month after month after month in hopes of seeing a sail with the unending disappointments Gov White runs up against as he attempts to organize a resupply voyage, never suspecting the ulterior motives of his only supporter. Finally, it shows a way things might have worked out that I find entirely acceptable. This is what historical fiction is all about!
October 7, 2013
I think I’m going to have to abandon this book at close to the halfway mark. It’s not that it’s a particularly bad book, but it’s mediocre, and the problems it has are ones that disconnect me from the story and keep me from caring about the characters or being interested in what will happen.
Firstly, the author has failed to make me sympathise with any of the characters. Take Maggie, for example, one of the main characters. All I know about her is that she’s young, redheaded, and attractive. Yes, the fact that is terrible, but I still don’t really know her. I couldn’t describe her personality. I don’t know what is going on inside her head, what motivates her, what her hopes and fears are. The story doesn’t really provide us with any insight on that front, and this is true of all the characters. Perhaps this expands upon later in the book, but I’m at 43% of the way in and I’m still not feeling a connection. Characters seem to be described in terms of appearance and occasionally thoughts are provided, but they’re very straightforward and don’t really show anything deeper about the character.
And this ties in with my next point. I feel like the writing just bobs along on the surface. Scene after scene occurs in which characters perform mundane actions, speak largely inconsequential dialogue that additionally reveals nothing about their character, and then move on. Everything is as it seems on the surface. There are no layers, either to the plot or the characters. This just doesn’t feel like a story that exists in the real world, or real human beings. Yes, I know Roanoke was real, but the way the author writes it these people and this place feel flat and one-dimensional. The prose is pedestrian and people behave unrealistically. A bad character is just bad – no ambiguity, no hidden angles, no deeper character.
I could probably persist with this and read further, possibly to the end. Goodness knows I’ve read much worse books – at least White Seed doesn’t suffer from clunky dialogue, cheesy plot, infodumping or other problems. But I think I’m going to stop here because I just don’t feel motivated to find out what happens, and the prose is so humdrum and simplistic. I'm just not buying into the story or in any way interested.
4 out of 10
December 1, 2011
I honestly don't know why I forced myself to continue reading this book. It dragged on way too long towards a conclusion that was not in the least bit surprising. The "untold story of Roanoake" should have remained untold.
April 25, 2012
This is a fictional account of what could have happened to the lost colony of Roanoke. I really enjoyed this story and found it very hard to put down. Clayton really brought to life the time period as well as the characters and I enjoyed the flow of the story very much. I felt like I was right there with them through the voyage and all of the hardships. I could feel their fear after being left behind as the soldiers started descending into madness and became more savage than the so called savages. It was easy to understand how being left with little provisions and being attacked frequently by Powhatan's people would cause them to lose their sanity. Things slowly began to spiral out of control year after year of being left on their own. The sadness over the loss of the children and how disheartening it would be to have your only food sources destroyed time and again. These people had some very tough choices to make in order to survive at all. It would be a natural assumption that they would be taken in by friendly natives or killed by those that were hostile. I could also understand the frustration of John White as time and again he tried to make his way back to the colony with provisions only to be stopped at every turn. His financial backers only concerned with profit and there being no profit in simply saving the lives of the colonists. Not to mention being stopped by wars and storms and privateers. I honestly really enjoyed this book and would recommend this to lovers of historical fiction.
August 24, 2011
I downloaded this on my Kindle one day, thinking it was a historical look at the facts regarding the Lost Colony of Roanoke. While I was disappointed to discover it was historical fiction (which seems to be really popular right now) it was very interesting and tense. The writer's take on what happened to the doomed colony, how it's proper society changed due to the circumstances to which they were subjected really seemed plausible. The quote (not in the book) "absolute power corrupts absolutely" kept ringing in my ears as I was reading this - simply because of the power hungry characters and how their possible actions really did them in. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this period of early American history with the reminder that it's one person's take on what MAY have happened based on the evidence available.
October 1, 2010
I love historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed th detail and plausibility of this story. It was well thought out, written and received! I'm glad to have read this. I purchased it on my Kindle and am very thankful to the publishers who sell in that format.
Want to read
April 22, 2011I just found out that i won this wonderful book on the first winners program on Goodrreads!
February 11, 2022
The settlement of Roanoke Island in 1585 was intended to be the first permanent English foothold in the New World. The land of plenty would feed the people who would be glad to work hard and prosper. It would be supplied regularly by ship from England, and more settlers would come to join the lucky first band. They would live in harmony with the native inhabitants, bartering trinkets for corn, and converting their grateful neighbours to Christianity. It was a dream of Raleigh's, to give his country an advantage in the northern part of what we know as America while Spain held the more southerly part.
The dream was, as such things are, perfect on paper. It took no account of the tempers or types of the would-be settlers. They all had their own reasons for going, some probably more worthy than others, but from the moment of landing, tensions began to appear.
It must be remembered that this is a work of fiction, based on what little is known about the people involved and what happened there until Governor White left in 1587, the last eyewitness to life at Roanoke. By the time he returned in 1590 nothing remained of the settlement or the more than one hundred men, women and children of all degrees who had made it their home. Clayton takes a handful of them, builds stories around them, and gives them voice. They live, they love, they give birth, they sicken and die, all in a very short span of time. Among them are wealthy Devon men, there for gold alone; the Governor of the new colony, who is an artist and mapmaker; a young Irishwoman fleeing an unfair accusation; and two young 'savage' men who had been taken to England a few years before, and who are there to act as translators. There are also young families to populate this new extension of the Queen's realm.
Voice is also given to the different tribes who were affected by the intrusion into their lands by the strange people who came from the sea. They are pictured in all their variety, from the peaceful to the more aggressive, from those who believed in harmony, and those for whom the first betrayal was the spark for a war of attrition.
The novel moves back and forth between Roanoke and England to detail concurrent events at opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, in particular the growing threat of the Spanish Armada and the subsequent blocking of the vital revictualling ships. There's no glimmer of hope in what rapidly becomes an essay in futility and dashed hopes. At its simplest, they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The characters grow as their experiences require of them, while the aura of threat – from starvation, disease, and enemies within and without the palisades– hangs over the whole. If the reader knows the true story (as far as it can be known) of Roanoke, perhaps some aspects are explained. Even in the fictionalised version, hope dies hard as their abandonment becomes more daily obvious, as it must have done.
The end of Roanoke as Clayton writes it is an invention made for the people as he has created them, but it has to remain faithful to certain facts. That apart, this is a well-written, well-researched novel of a desperate and short-lived experiment which was overtaken by events beyond its control.
Right at the end, in the Afterword: the author says, referring to a search in 1607, '...try as they might, Smith and the Jamestown settlers could find no trace of the English people left behind at Roanoke. And so they disappeared, living on only as legend or as a page or two in the history books - until now.' This implies, however tongue in cheek, that what's been told in these pages is true, which it isn't: it's a blend of what little is known to be fact up to 1587, and is fiction for all the rest. The novel is a possible scenario with a possible outcome for the characters as the author creates them.
It's also a book where everything for the characters is hard going, a struggle, a fight for survival which is ultimately lost, and that will not appeal to many readers. On the other hand, there are as many who will know the story of Roanoke and will enjoy this look into the pretty accurate historical setting which forms the backdrop to the events as portrayed. Clearly Clayton knows his history, from both the English and the Native sides.
As for Roanoke itself, the real mystery is probably destined to remain unsolved.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
The dream was, as such things are, perfect on paper. It took no account of the tempers or types of the would-be settlers. They all had their own reasons for going, some probably more worthy than others, but from the moment of landing, tensions began to appear.
It must be remembered that this is a work of fiction, based on what little is known about the people involved and what happened there until Governor White left in 1587, the last eyewitness to life at Roanoke. By the time he returned in 1590 nothing remained of the settlement or the more than one hundred men, women and children of all degrees who had made it their home. Clayton takes a handful of them, builds stories around them, and gives them voice. They live, they love, they give birth, they sicken and die, all in a very short span of time. Among them are wealthy Devon men, there for gold alone; the Governor of the new colony, who is an artist and mapmaker; a young Irishwoman fleeing an unfair accusation; and two young 'savage' men who had been taken to England a few years before, and who are there to act as translators. There are also young families to populate this new extension of the Queen's realm.
Voice is also given to the different tribes who were affected by the intrusion into their lands by the strange people who came from the sea. They are pictured in all their variety, from the peaceful to the more aggressive, from those who believed in harmony, and those for whom the first betrayal was the spark for a war of attrition.
The novel moves back and forth between Roanoke and England to detail concurrent events at opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, in particular the growing threat of the Spanish Armada and the subsequent blocking of the vital revictualling ships. There's no glimmer of hope in what rapidly becomes an essay in futility and dashed hopes. At its simplest, they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The characters grow as their experiences require of them, while the aura of threat – from starvation, disease, and enemies within and without the palisades– hangs over the whole. If the reader knows the true story (as far as it can be known) of Roanoke, perhaps some aspects are explained. Even in the fictionalised version, hope dies hard as their abandonment becomes more daily obvious, as it must have done.
The end of Roanoke as Clayton writes it is an invention made for the people as he has created them, but it has to remain faithful to certain facts. That apart, this is a well-written, well-researched novel of a desperate and short-lived experiment which was overtaken by events beyond its control.
Right at the end, in the Afterword: the author says, referring to a search in 1607, '...try as they might, Smith and the Jamestown settlers could find no trace of the English people left behind at Roanoke. And so they disappeared, living on only as legend or as a page or two in the history books - until now.' This implies, however tongue in cheek, that what's been told in these pages is true, which it isn't: it's a blend of what little is known to be fact up to 1587, and is fiction for all the rest. The novel is a possible scenario with a possible outcome for the characters as the author creates them.
It's also a book where everything for the characters is hard going, a struggle, a fight for survival which is ultimately lost, and that will not appeal to many readers. On the other hand, there are as many who will know the story of Roanoke and will enjoy this look into the pretty accurate historical setting which forms the backdrop to the events as portrayed. Clearly Clayton knows his history, from both the English and the Native sides.
As for Roanoke itself, the real mystery is probably destined to remain unsolved.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
March 25, 2018
Just about every book or tv program dealing with the Lost Colony of Roanoke has usually given it a supernatural cause, so I thought it would be interesting to read a story that didn’t, one that tried to give the disappearance a logical, rational explanation.
In that, this book doesn’t disappoint. The author obviously did his research, and the reader is given an in-depth view of that time and place. And I found at least a few of his characters nicely drawn and very likable.
But where the book does disappoint is in that so many of the colonies problems are from sheer stupidity. And it’s hard to imagine that no one was learning from their mistakes. Or could be so ignorant of human nature. The book’s other problem is that it could have used some major editing. The same things, with very minor variation, would happen again and again.
Still, the bulk of what happens is plausible, and I could easily see the colony’s loss being caused by nothing more than human failure.
In that, this book doesn’t disappoint. The author obviously did his research, and the reader is given an in-depth view of that time and place. And I found at least a few of his characters nicely drawn and very likable.
But where the book does disappoint is in that so many of the colonies problems are from sheer stupidity. And it’s hard to imagine that no one was learning from their mistakes. Or could be so ignorant of human nature. The book’s other problem is that it could have used some major editing. The same things, with very minor variation, would happen again and again.
Still, the bulk of what happens is plausible, and I could easily see the colony’s loss being caused by nothing more than human failure.
April 5, 2018
I was very interested in this story and the book did not disappoint. It takes you from England to Roanoke Island. Their destination being Chesapeake Bay, not on Roanoke actually. Governor White’s determination to save his people vs. the savages, and ultimately his own people is what this book is about. The last half of the book is quite a thriller, and last 1/4 hard to put down!
August 19, 2019
I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects of the book--indentured servitude, Raleigh's attempts to establish the colony, how the colonists dealt with living there for years waiting for supplies, how the natives dealt with them and each other. Some fictional aspects were a bit much, but others could have been realistic. Overall, an engaging tale.
July 29, 2013
3-1/2 STARS
A fascinating fictional account of what may have happened to the settlers of The Lost Colony of Roanoke. Of course there are many possible scenarios and with the limited evidence available today, we will never know the absolute truth. After reading this book, I immediately had to do some research myself and read up on the history of Roanoke. Clayton's account of the settlers' disappearance is entirely possible. Most likely, the real truth lies somewhere in a mix of the different theories established by historians.
Clayton obviously did his research and the historical details and real people were fascinating. I did however have some issues with the writing. It was a bit too wordy at times and could have been a tad shorter. I listened to the audio version for the first half and read the ebook version in the 2nd half. At first I found the flow a bit choppy...a little abrupt and rushed at times and I had a hard time getting into the characters. But once I was sucked into the historical details.... I was hooked! Maggie's romance seemed a little underdeveloped to be believable....but the focus was really on the disappearance of the entire colony.
I really like Clayton's theory on the disappearance of the Lost Colony settlers and would like to think that is what happened to many of the settlers.
I recommend The White Seed to anyone interested in early American history.
A fascinating fictional account of what may have happened to the settlers of The Lost Colony of Roanoke. Of course there are many possible scenarios and with the limited evidence available today, we will never know the absolute truth. After reading this book, I immediately had to do some research myself and read up on the history of Roanoke. Clayton's account of the settlers' disappearance is entirely possible. Most likely, the real truth lies somewhere in a mix of the different theories established by historians.
Clayton obviously did his research and the historical details and real people were fascinating. I did however have some issues with the writing. It was a bit too wordy at times and could have been a tad shorter. I listened to the audio version for the first half and read the ebook version in the 2nd half. At first I found the flow a bit choppy...a little abrupt and rushed at times and I had a hard time getting into the characters. But once I was sucked into the historical details.... I was hooked! Maggie's romance seemed a little underdeveloped to be believable....but the focus was really on the disappearance of the entire colony.
I really like Clayton's theory on the disappearance of the Lost Colony settlers and would like to think that is what happened to many of the settlers.
I recommend The White Seed to anyone interested in early American history.
July 21, 2013
To my surprise, I ended up liking this book. Title is all important. The untold story of the lost colony of Roanoke implied to me that a secret had been found that unlocked the mystery. However, as I read I realized that this was, as is most historical fiction of course, a story the author imagined based upon historical research. My expectations were dashed, which gave me a sour taste about the reading. Fortunately, I kept reading.
Once I became engrossed in the characters and let myself Imagine what they were going through, I found this story totally believable. It's very probable that much of what happened in this book really happened. Very good historical fiction. Well researched. Well worth the read.
Once I became engrossed in the characters and let myself Imagine what they were going through, I found this story totally believable. It's very probable that much of what happened in this book really happened. Very good historical fiction. Well researched. Well worth the read.
June 2, 2011
I struggled to stay engaged in this book. It is my kind of book but the characters did not pull me in. Read about 3/4 and so far, have no desire to pick it up again. There are quite a few characters but not one that lets you feel what they are feeling. It was quite a distance into the book before I realized how large this colony actually was -- the way it is written, I thought it was a very small group. Never really had a good feel for the area -- descriptions of the setting are not well developed. Maybe if the area had been described better I would have felt I was there. Very rarely do I not finish a book and maybe I will go back and see it through.
May 7, 2011
I won this book on Good Reads and was eager to get stuck in to it because the lost colony of Roanoke fascinated me. This is a good read with really well drawn characters. I found myself wanting to yell at the book when certain actions are taken and you know this isn't going to end well. I kept returning to the book because I had to know what happened next...I won't reveal the ending but it could have happened that way. A rollicking read that will have you very thankful you live in comfort and civility.
May 23, 2012
this book was entirel too long! i had a very hard time finishing it and only did because i saw a documentary about the roanoke colony while i was reading it. i got very tired with all the thawarted events for the colonists---there could have benn considerably fewer and still gotten the point across. it seemed contrived for contrivance sake. the characters as written weren't bad. but i could work up no sympathy for governor white. and din't believe for one moment the love story of maggie and manteo. sorry. i tried because i do like historical novels. just mot this one.
May 27, 2011
I love the story of the lost colony, and love reading books about it. That's probably why this book got three stars instead of two. The author isn't very good at describing action, and his dialogue isn't the greatest. Plus, the book was probably twice as long as it needed to be. Nevertheless, I love reading about Roanoke and I did enjoy reading it.
August 16, 2011
I'm sorry to give Clayton's book only one star since the subject matter is so compelling. Unfortunately, the author's clumsy way with words lets the story down at every turn.
I have seldom read a novel so poorly written. The few I have encountered have been self published efforts which have lacked professional editing and have understandably been turned down by traditional publishing houses.
I have seldom read a novel so poorly written. The few I have encountered have been self published efforts which have lacked professional editing and have understandably been turned down by traditional publishing houses.
January 10, 2016
This was well-researched and well-written, but I just wasn't able to connect with it. I know the majority of people have very much enjoyed this book, and I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it, I think that maybe it just wasn't for me.
February 29, 2012
A decent read but found myself skimming through many parts to get through it. It was interesting, but of course nobody really knows what happened.
February 14, 2012
This is an EXCELLENT piece of historical fiction. I highly recommend it and it contains a lot of historical fact mixed with enough fiction to keep you hooked.
January 11, 2021
I've always been fascinated by the mystery of the Roanoke colony. The colony which was one of the first to settle in this new world completely disappeared before the next ship arrived from England. The only trace of the colonists was the word CROAT carved in a piece of wood. Later, what is known as the Dare stone was found with other information, but no one is certain of its legitimacy. So anyway, this novel tries to fill in the parts of the story we don't know. From the time the ships left England, to the time the next ship arrived, a span of many years. The colonists fought disease, famine, cold, indian attacks, and internal conflicts. This isn't a bad work of fiction, though i think the view of the native population as 'savages' should have been addressed. It was presented with a very Anglocentric point of view. It could have been more balanced. That's my only major complaint about the book.
January 10, 2025
Fascinating
The colony was doomed. Raleigh's group of Devon men had been tasked to find gold and so these men were not committed to the success of this colony to succeed as permanent settlers. The solders who were for protection were off aiding the gold seekers and killing the local natives to steal their food supplies.
This is an imagined telling of the nearly 3 long years the surviving settlers lived in the abandoned garrison, which was well south of the planned settlement and in the midst of unfriendly natives.
The leader, Governor White, had returned to England to get more provisions and hoped to return that same year, 1587. Because England
needed all their ships to confront the Spanish Armada, it was 3 long years before he could return to the little Roanoke community where he had left, among others, his daughter, her husband and his baby granddaughter.
The colony was doomed. Raleigh's group of Devon men had been tasked to find gold and so these men were not committed to the success of this colony to succeed as permanent settlers. The solders who were for protection were off aiding the gold seekers and killing the local natives to steal their food supplies.
This is an imagined telling of the nearly 3 long years the surviving settlers lived in the abandoned garrison, which was well south of the planned settlement and in the midst of unfriendly natives.
The leader, Governor White, had returned to England to get more provisions and hoped to return that same year, 1587. Because England
needed all their ships to confront the Spanish Armada, it was 3 long years before he could return to the little Roanoke community where he had left, among others, his daughter, her husband and his baby granddaughter.
April 2, 2022
This is a FICTIONAL account of what MIGHT have happened to the colonists on Roanoke Island. I think the story was plausible. I would like to see if there is a manifest of the people who were on the ship when it fitst sailed because it would be interesting to hear the back story of why these people were willing to go there. The characters are not all well developed but John White is the one who seemed to have the most to lose. The rest of the characters were just that, characters. They had no peronalities. If you think about it, that might have been what the author wanted. The poeple and there circumstance a mystery.
January 11, 2018
White a story
A very interesting book and well written. The author leads you through the hardships the people of so long ago had to endure. Nothing was easy. I hope whoever was left of the colony did live out their lives at Croatoan with Manteo's people.
A very interesting book and well written. The author leads you through the hardships the people of so long ago had to endure. Nothing was easy. I hope whoever was left of the colony did live out their lives at Croatoan with Manteo's people.
December 17, 2019
Mystery
A detailed prognosis of what might have happened to the Roanoke settlers. One of the great mysteries of our time. Pretty sure some combination of events as described in White Seed actually became factual.
A detailed prognosis of what might have happened to the Roanoke settlers. One of the great mysteries of our time. Pretty sure some combination of events as described in White Seed actually became factual.
March 17, 2024
good story. a liitle long.
The story kept gaining and losing my attention. Then, in the last third of the book , I was glued to the story. I loved the story and kept referring to what I knew about the lost colony of Roanoke.
The story kept gaining and losing my attention. Then, in the last third of the book , I was glued to the story. I loved the story and kept referring to what I knew about the lost colony of Roanoke.
June 24, 2017
Never finished...never will.
June 16, 2020
DNF. I got 25% in but it didn't hold my attention.
abandoned
May 26, 2021NOPE
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews