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Roanoke: A Novel of Elizabethan Intrigue
In the spring of 1585, seven English ships sailed around Cape Feare and up the windswept coast of Florida. Their to gain a foothold in the Americas, a gateway to riches, an island fortress against the Spanish. But within ten years, the vibrant new colony had vanished without a trace.… In Hampton Court, Elizabeth is under siege—surrounded by sycophants, spies, and assassins who stalk her every move. Among those charged with protecting her is a tall, charismatic spy named Gabriel North…and when the queen’s advisers persuade her to send ships to the Americas, North is given a job for which he is perfectly to seduce Roanoke’s Secota princess and gain information about a fabled treasure hidden in the wilderness.In Princess Naia, North meets a woman who bewitches him utterly—and he soon sees the dangerous deceptions from which his mission was born. As war and calamity crash down on Roanoke Island, Gabriel North becomes a wanted man in a desperate hunt that will lead back across the Atlantic—into a trap set by his enemies, and into a shocking act of treachery that swirls around Elizabeth herself….With the grace of a master storyteller, Margaret Lawrence brings to life a cast of brave hearts and blackguards, petty criminals and grand schemers, who play their roles in a searing drama of conquest, rule, and rebellion.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
67 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Lawrence
7 books40 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Lorraine Margaret Keilstrup, wrote as Margaret Lawrence, Margaret K. Lawrence and M. K. Lorens. Her last name is pronounced KEEL-strup. She was born in February 23, 1945 and died on January 8, 2012 in Freemont, Nebraska at her home.
Keilstrup graduated valedictorian from Fremont High School and then summa cum laude from Midland Lutheran College, now Midland University, in 1967. Keilstrup was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. She earned a Master of Arts and doctorate degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, writing a doctoral thesis on The Myth of Cain in the Early English Drama in 1974. She taught there for several years and also taught in Fort Hays, Kansas.
She won several writing competitions during these years and then had plays produced at the Omaha Playhouse and on Nebraska-ETV, before giving up teaching and moving to New York City to pursue a career as a writer and playwright. Her plays were produced by the Hudson Guild and the New York Shakespeare Festival and she was a finalist for the Blackburn Prize in drama.
She wrote scripts for CBS-Universal Studios, notably for "The Equalizer" television series. The episode, "Riding the Elephant," received a superb rating on tv.com.
Keilstrup returned to Fremont to care for ailing family members, and lived in her 120 year old ancestral home, which was originally built by her grandfather in a cornfield outside Fremont and which starred a garden that contained her grandmother's roses and poppies first planted from seeds brought from Flanders Field after World War I. The Keilstrup home is the oldest home in Fremont continuously lived in by the same family.
After her return home, she began writing novels, first as M. K. Lorens and then as Margaret Lawrence.
As M. K. Lorens, she wrote five novels starring featuring Winston Marlowe Sherman, mystery-writing Shakespearan professor, beginning with SWEET NARCISSUS (Bantam, 1990) and ending with SORROWHEART (Doubleday, 1993). As Margaret Lawrence, she wrote three novels starring Hannah Trevor, Revolutionary War era midwife, and a number of other historical novels.
For these novels, she was a finalist for The Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, the UK’s Golden Dagger, and other literary awards. Her books were translated in to a number of other languages for nations like Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic and Japan. She also published poems and short stories.
Known to her friends and family for her intelligence, wit and humor, her deep compassion for others, and for her liking for privacy, she was also known for many creative talents, including her fluency in Danish, German, Spanish and French. She played the piano, composed folk songs, and excelled at Danish papercutting, needlework and quilting. Many of her projects were profiled in magazines. She died on January 8, 2012 at her home in Fremont, Nebraska.
Lorraine Margaret Keilstrup, wrote as Margaret Lawrence, Margaret K. Lawrence and M. K. Lorens. Her last name is pronounced KEEL-strup. She was born in February 23, 1945 and died on January 8, 2012 in Freemont, Nebraska at her home.
Keilstrup graduated valedictorian from Fremont High School and then summa cum laude from Midland Lutheran College, now Midland University, in 1967. Keilstrup was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. She earned a Master of Arts and doctorate degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, writing a doctoral thesis on The Myth of Cain in the Early English Drama in 1974. She taught there for several years and also taught in Fort Hays, Kansas.
She won several writing competitions during these years and then had plays produced at the Omaha Playhouse and on Nebraska-ETV, before giving up teaching and moving to New York City to pursue a career as a writer and playwright. Her plays were produced by the Hudson Guild and the New York Shakespeare Festival and she was a finalist for the Blackburn Prize in drama.
She wrote scripts for CBS-Universal Studios, notably for "The Equalizer" television series. The episode, "Riding the Elephant," received a superb rating on tv.com.
Keilstrup returned to Fremont to care for ailing family members, and lived in her 120 year old ancestral home, which was originally built by her grandfather in a cornfield outside Fremont and which starred a garden that contained her grandmother's roses and poppies first planted from seeds brought from Flanders Field after World War I. The Keilstrup home is the oldest home in Fremont continuously lived in by the same family.
After her return home, she began writing novels, first as M. K. Lorens and then as Margaret Lawrence.
As M. K. Lorens, she wrote five novels starring featuring Winston Marlowe Sherman, mystery-writing Shakespearan professor, beginning with SWEET NARCISSUS (Bantam, 1990) and ending with SORROWHEART (Doubleday, 1993). As Margaret Lawrence, she wrote three novels starring Hannah Trevor, Revolutionary War era midwife, and a number of other historical novels.
For these novels, she was a finalist for The Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, the UK’s Golden Dagger, and other literary awards. Her books were translated in to a number of other languages for nations like Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic and Japan. She also published poems and short stories.
Known to her friends and family for her intelligence, wit and humor, her deep compassion for others, and for her liking for privacy, she was also known for many creative talents, including her fluency in Danish, German, Spanish and French. She played the piano, composed folk songs, and excelled at Danish papercutting, needlework and quilting. Many of her projects were profiled in magazines. She died on January 8, 2012 at her home in Fremont, Nebraska.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 14, 2014
I've been a reader far longer than a writer, and truly enjoy discovering a wonderful turn of a phrase, or a chilling sentence, a descriptive passage that plants you right there in the setting. One favorite author is Margaret Lawrence. Her historical fiction is stunning at times, gritty with details, gripping in action, and her prose makes me want to quit writing. But I won't--because she inspires me to improve!
Here's a sample of her vivid imagery, from her recent novel Roanoke: "The precious cleanness of the beach is real, but it seems to have been created, at most, a few hours before. No stinking fish guts and no rusty anchor chains. Only the bitter-sour-sweet of sea salt, with a strange edge of ripening fruit from somewhere in the dark, mysterious ocean of trees to the west. Only the colors that paint the air and wash the flat beach, blending sea, land and sky. Apricot, rose, pale amethyst, topaz, silver. And gold."
Another phrase that made me sit up: "Time drips like Spanish moss from the swamp oaks."
Many people hate books like Roanoke, with its multiple POV's, jumps from past to present to future tense, and the blending of real people with fictional characters. I know how I would have fallen short in that descriptive passage, using "forest" instead of "ocean of trees," "scent" instead of "strange edge of ripening fruit" and I would have never thought to write "precious cleanness" or "paint the air and wash the flat beach" either. You have to read the book to catch the theme imbedded in the list of colors. The last one is key, and she rightly sets it apart: "And gold."
AMAZING prose. Astonishing. Her sense of foreshadowing is also masterful.
These are the books you cannot put down. The surrounding world vanishes. Caught in the weaver's gossamer net, you beg not for release but for another gentle sting that lifts you into that dream realm.
I totally recommend this book.
Here's a sample of her vivid imagery, from her recent novel Roanoke: "The precious cleanness of the beach is real, but it seems to have been created, at most, a few hours before. No stinking fish guts and no rusty anchor chains. Only the bitter-sour-sweet of sea salt, with a strange edge of ripening fruit from somewhere in the dark, mysterious ocean of trees to the west. Only the colors that paint the air and wash the flat beach, blending sea, land and sky. Apricot, rose, pale amethyst, topaz, silver. And gold."
Another phrase that made me sit up: "Time drips like Spanish moss from the swamp oaks."
Many people hate books like Roanoke, with its multiple POV's, jumps from past to present to future tense, and the blending of real people with fictional characters. I know how I would have fallen short in that descriptive passage, using "forest" instead of "ocean of trees," "scent" instead of "strange edge of ripening fruit" and I would have never thought to write "precious cleanness" or "paint the air and wash the flat beach" either. You have to read the book to catch the theme imbedded in the list of colors. The last one is key, and she rightly sets it apart: "And gold."
AMAZING prose. Astonishing. Her sense of foreshadowing is also masterful.
These are the books you cannot put down. The surrounding world vanishes. Caught in the weaver's gossamer net, you beg not for release but for another gentle sting that lifts you into that dream realm.
I totally recommend this book.
June 3, 2011
Historically speaking, no one really knows what happened to the 16th century settlement at Roanoke. All of the villagers disappeared, and the word "Croatoan" was carved into a nearby tree.
Margaret Lawrence uses that incident as a stopping-off place, inspired by the fact that one of the women on the settlement transportation manifest bore her name. She creates a world peopled by Walsingham's spies, filled with court intrigue featuring Walter Ralegh, Robert Cecil and more.
The book is splendidly researched, told alternately in the voices of Gabriel North and Robert Mowbray (two of Walsingham's men).
History buffs are sure to enjoy this concept of "what happened here."
Margaret Lawrence uses that incident as a stopping-off place, inspired by the fact that one of the women on the settlement transportation manifest bore her name. She creates a world peopled by Walsingham's spies, filled with court intrigue featuring Walter Ralegh, Robert Cecil and more.
The book is splendidly researched, told alternately in the voices of Gabriel North and Robert Mowbray (two of Walsingham's men).
History buffs are sure to enjoy this concept of "what happened here."
sampled-not-interested
January 11, 2018Someone can do tons of research and have all the historical details in the world. Without engaging characters and a cohesive story arc, it still won't work.
October 14, 2025
At this point I could not finish the book. I may try it again later.
June 15, 2009
I became so lost in the world of Lawrence's other series, beginning with Hearts and Bones and ending with the magnificent Ice Weaver, that I couldn't wait to start this book! Finally, the talented weaver of words, Margaret Lawrence had written a new book...although I am still waiting for a new book in the Hearts and Bones series, one to follow Ice Weaver. Much as I am enjoying Roanoke, I don't encounter as much "soul" as in her other books.
Now that I am finished with this book, I do have to say that Margaret Lawrence's storyline of what happened to the Roanoke colony is so plausible that I wasn't able to put the book down! Her characters were so interesting that I don't find myself bothered at her "author's liberties" and I would be delighted if she wrote a sequel so I could find out what happened as her characters continued their lives.
Now that I am finished with this book, I do have to say that Margaret Lawrence's storyline of what happened to the Roanoke colony is so plausible that I wasn't able to put the book down! Her characters were so interesting that I don't find myself bothered at her "author's liberties" and I would be delighted if she wrote a sequel so I could find out what happened as her characters continued their lives.
April 15, 2009
I'm probably biased because I adore Margaret Lawrence's books. Her mysteries are tightly woven and her characters are compelling. This is a completely different story from Lawrence's previous series -- so different that there really is no way to compare this to her other novels other than in how well she weaves, mystery, history, folklore, sense of place, character, and an unlikely romance into this account of the Roanoke settlement. This is storytelling at its best and had me going back to re-read information on Roanoke to see what else I'd missed!
January 3, 2018
I’m abandoning (40% through) because I just can’t take any more. There is no cohesive narrative or character development. At this point, I still know absolutely nothing about the narrator/protagonist. The author clearly did the historical research, but forgot about the fiction part. Just describes one set of horrors after another—atrocities against the native population, disease, starvation, torture, treachery—without anything to make it into an actual novel.
June 8, 2021
I just couldn't get into this story about the failed Elizabethan colony of Roanoke. Gabriel is sent on the voyage in his capacity as a spy because he has a special talent-he can seduce any woman just by looking at them and discover all their secrets. He is supposed to use this talent on the queen of the native tribe to discover a gold source. The language got rather unnecessarily vulgar at times and the extent of the Spanish involvement at the end of the story seemed rather far-fetched.
February 3, 2012
I chose to read this book for an assignment for my editing minor, thinking it looked interesting. I only have one word to describe it: Craptastic.
June 3, 2018
Is there a negative rating? This book was awful.
January 9, 2023
I would have rounded up to 3 if the author were still alive (to be nice). Since she's not, I'll be honest.
There were some things worth commending. Lawrence has an excellent grasp on this time period. Her descriptions of clothing, buildings, ships, etc. showed knowledge and expertise. Unfortunately, though, the insertion of the old-timey words into the story felt forced and made the scenes and dialogue flat and fake. Instead of pulling the reader into that world, these insertions were more apt to cause a cringey reaction.
The story was told from the POV of two spies. I didn't care for either of them. I couldn't stand the dialogue. The one spy, the "lesser" spy, was gifted with the ability to make all women fall in love with him, which was why he was sent to Roanoke. He was supposed to win over the native princess to get her to tell him where the gold and pearls were. He is supposed to be a good guy. He thumbs his nose at the dastardly brutes in power, falls in love with the native woman, plays with her kids, and does all the right things. But I couldn't stand his dialogue. Lawrence kept making him speak in sentence fragments without subjects. It was not the way a real person talks, not even back then.
Another annoying thing Lawrence kept doing was starting scenes and purposely not stating who was speaking. Near the end of the book, this got super-annoying. It was unnecessarily confusing. Why? Did she think the reader enjoyed the blind dialogue? Guessing who was speaking? Like a little mini-mystery, over and over.
The sexism was outdated. I don't mean the historical, actual sexism. I mean in the writing. For example, she described a celebration scene in which people were dancing. Instead of men lifting women and spinning them around, they lifted "girls". Come on, Lawrence. If this book was copyrighted in the '80s, I would have excused her. But in 2009 I'd expect someone to edit that.
Both of the main characters, too, were like tropes from 1980s Harlequin romances.
This is nit-picky, but there was an amateurish faux-pas that bugged me. The spy was sitting in a church to pick up a dark drop, and Lawrence described the scene from his perspective. This character told us that the secret notes were wrapped in black fabric and tied with black string so that when they were dropped in a dark corner nobody would see them. She had the character tell us that there were a lot of dark corners in a world that was lit by candlelight. Umm, as opposed to what? The electric lights that he would know nothing about. It was a weird slip. To give the benefit of the doubt, or play devil's advocate, I suppose it's possible that he was guessing that one day the world would be more brightly lit. Still, it was a sentence that just shouldn't have been there. Things like that took me out of the story, and made it difficult to slog through.
Back to the plusses. I liked some parts about Cecil and "Kit" Marlowe. I won't expand on that.
I usually give at least 3 stars to historical fiction novels because often the amount of research the author has done warrants at least 3 stars. Lawrence clearly did some research, but I don't think she did enough. I've read a lot (nonfiction) about this period, and there were things she wrote that didn't mesh with historical facts.
I thought she did a good job at recreating some documents, like the flyers that White circulated to recruit planters. Some of these documents had errors in them that showed that she hadn't researched enough, or cross-checked timelines. But, I liked the imagination she used to create these documents.
The most impressive thing about the book is the jacket art. For the first time ever, I looked up the artist. Her name is Kinuko Y. Craft, and she is an AMAZING artist.
There were some things worth commending. Lawrence has an excellent grasp on this time period. Her descriptions of clothing, buildings, ships, etc. showed knowledge and expertise. Unfortunately, though, the insertion of the old-timey words into the story felt forced and made the scenes and dialogue flat and fake. Instead of pulling the reader into that world, these insertions were more apt to cause a cringey reaction.
The story was told from the POV of two spies. I didn't care for either of them. I couldn't stand the dialogue. The one spy, the "lesser" spy, was gifted with the ability to make all women fall in love with him, which was why he was sent to Roanoke. He was supposed to win over the native princess to get her to tell him where the gold and pearls were. He is supposed to be a good guy. He thumbs his nose at the dastardly brutes in power, falls in love with the native woman, plays with her kids, and does all the right things. But I couldn't stand his dialogue. Lawrence kept making him speak in sentence fragments without subjects. It was not the way a real person talks, not even back then.
Another annoying thing Lawrence kept doing was starting scenes and purposely not stating who was speaking. Near the end of the book, this got super-annoying. It was unnecessarily confusing. Why? Did she think the reader enjoyed the blind dialogue? Guessing who was speaking? Like a little mini-mystery, over and over.
The sexism was outdated. I don't mean the historical, actual sexism. I mean in the writing. For example, she described a celebration scene in which people were dancing. Instead of men lifting women and spinning them around, they lifted "girls". Come on, Lawrence. If this book was copyrighted in the '80s, I would have excused her. But in 2009 I'd expect someone to edit that.
Both of the main characters, too, were like tropes from 1980s Harlequin romances.
This is nit-picky, but there was an amateurish faux-pas that bugged me. The spy was sitting in a church to pick up a dark drop, and Lawrence described the scene from his perspective. This character told us that the secret notes were wrapped in black fabric and tied with black string so that when they were dropped in a dark corner nobody would see them. She had the character tell us that there were a lot of dark corners in a world that was lit by candlelight. Umm, as opposed to what? The electric lights that he would know nothing about. It was a weird slip. To give the benefit of the doubt, or play devil's advocate, I suppose it's possible that he was guessing that one day the world would be more brightly lit. Still, it was a sentence that just shouldn't have been there. Things like that took me out of the story, and made it difficult to slog through.
Back to the plusses. I liked some parts about Cecil and "Kit" Marlowe. I won't expand on that.
I usually give at least 3 stars to historical fiction novels because often the amount of research the author has done warrants at least 3 stars. Lawrence clearly did some research, but I don't think she did enough. I've read a lot (nonfiction) about this period, and there were things she wrote that didn't mesh with historical facts.
I thought she did a good job at recreating some documents, like the flyers that White circulated to recruit planters. Some of these documents had errors in them that showed that she hadn't researched enough, or cross-checked timelines. But, I liked the imagination she used to create these documents.
The most impressive thing about the book is the jacket art. For the first time ever, I looked up the artist. Her name is Kinuko Y. Craft, and she is an AMAZING artist.
August 21, 2025
This book lured me in with the promise of Elizabethan intrigue, a centuries old mystery, and the prospect of a powerful female character.
It turned out to be about a bunch of weird horny colonizers.
It entirely reinforced the "white savior" narrative through the character of Gabriel North (I mean..... his name is even a poorly nuisanced nod to the Christian archangel).
This book is littered with cryptic chapter titles, confused narratives, overuse of italics, a disjointed plot and also insufferable forced symbolism.
For example, when Tesik is getting freaky with Naia and the author makes this bleak allusion toward impending war:
"He has his fingers inside her and they seem to be making a fist" page 99
EXCUSE ME WHAT?!? I know homegirl has birthed 2 children; but unless you've made a career of firing cannon balls out of your hoohaa you probably would be mildly more aware of that sensation.
Don't even get me started on the chronic use of the word "breast" and the pearl necklaces that adorn them. Girl, we see you.
I believe at one point Naia "presses her breasts" to Gabriel during a moment of disagreement and they are described as "cold" and that's it. The characters' conversation just continues on as if m'lady engages in social interactions in which she regularly stabs others with her weapons-grade-ice-nipples.
There were some dastardly characters with great potential for development (Im looking at you, Lane and Fernando). But then they just disappear and the author writes them out like the negelcted middle children of a midwestern family in the 1980s.
The same thing happened with Tesik, he gets clubbed by his buddies, (Fister, Twister, and the gang.) But again, the author leaves the reader in the dark... why? how? when did his friends turn on him, also where did they go after?
But nooooo, the reader is stuck with Gabriel again, and this time he is even more insufferable. Because now his shoulder is shattered and he'd rather go on for another decade trailing it along like Quasimodo's necrotic cousin.
No thanks.
So basically, if you were a parent during the 90s at the height of the Pocahontas craze; and your children had the movie on 24/7 until the musical scores infiltrated your dreams and sent you into a state of psychosis in which you couldnt shake the thought of "just what it would be like if John Smith and Pocahontas finally got down to it", then this book is for you.
For the modern reader, not so much
It turned out to be about a bunch of weird horny colonizers.
It entirely reinforced the "white savior" narrative through the character of Gabriel North (I mean..... his name is even a poorly nuisanced nod to the Christian archangel).
This book is littered with cryptic chapter titles, confused narratives, overuse of italics, a disjointed plot and also insufferable forced symbolism.
For example, when Tesik is getting freaky with Naia and the author makes this bleak allusion toward impending war:
"He has his fingers inside her and they seem to be making a fist" page 99
EXCUSE ME WHAT?!? I know homegirl has birthed 2 children; but unless you've made a career of firing cannon balls out of your hoohaa you probably would be mildly more aware of that sensation.
Don't even get me started on the chronic use of the word "breast" and the pearl necklaces that adorn them. Girl, we see you.
I believe at one point Naia "presses her breasts" to Gabriel during a moment of disagreement and they are described as "cold" and that's it. The characters' conversation just continues on as if m'lady engages in social interactions in which she regularly stabs others with her weapons-grade-ice-nipples.
There were some dastardly characters with great potential for development (Im looking at you, Lane and Fernando). But then they just disappear and the author writes them out like the negelcted middle children of a midwestern family in the 1980s.
The same thing happened with Tesik, he gets clubbed by his buddies, (Fister, Twister, and the gang.) But again, the author leaves the reader in the dark... why? how? when did his friends turn on him, also where did they go after?
But nooooo, the reader is stuck with Gabriel again, and this time he is even more insufferable. Because now his shoulder is shattered and he'd rather go on for another decade trailing it along like Quasimodo's necrotic cousin.
No thanks.
So basically, if you were a parent during the 90s at the height of the Pocahontas craze; and your children had the movie on 24/7 until the musical scores infiltrated your dreams and sent you into a state of psychosis in which you couldnt shake the thought of "just what it would be like if John Smith and Pocahontas finally got down to it", then this book is for you.
For the modern reader, not so much
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2018
Interesting read if you know the history. Otherwise it might be confusing. I had never considered the fact that some of the colonists may have managed passage back to England eventually. Many theories are out there about what happened to the "Lost Colony". Of course, this is historical FICTION, but what was suggested seemed at least plausible. There was also discussion of many of the intrigues in the Elizabethan court and the pilot, Simon Fernandes, has always been considered a "bad guy" but was he under the influence of the Elizabethan court or the Spanish? Many questions emerged from the reading even thought many of the characters were fictional!
October 14, 2019
Well Margaret Lawrence read Lee Miller's and other Roanoke schoars work that's for sure. I wish the author had tried a little harder with the narration, a spy telling the story seems like a great idea, but she couldn't pull it off. I also wish she handn't tried to force Naia's life experiences and voice, that was painful and embarrassing to read, stick to what you know please. The third act was the best, but the first two felt so forced it was a real test to get through...3 stars for doing her research I guess?
February 25, 2018
Truth or Fiction?
Since no one knows what happened to the Roanoke colony, it is rife for possibilities. This story, while fiction, is well researched, and let my mind wander into the realm of "it's possible". Everything about it, characters, plot, EVERYTHING, is either real or so well based on real as to be seamlessly woven into reality, that the book seems to be a true account. This is a must if you are into historical fiction!
Since no one knows what happened to the Roanoke colony, it is rife for possibilities. This story, while fiction, is well researched, and let my mind wander into the realm of "it's possible". Everything about it, characters, plot, EVERYTHING, is either real or so well based on real as to be seamlessly woven into reality, that the book seems to be a true account. This is a must if you are into historical fiction!
December 22, 2021
Good historical fiction. About halfway through, I was going to give it 3 stars, but now can’t remember why. I don’t know why Gabriel made that huge decision in the second half. I can’t think that it was worth it. You tell me.
Given all that happened, it was a satisfying ending.
I appreciate that the author gave us the comparative historical information at the end.
Given all that happened, it was a satisfying ending.
I appreciate that the author gave us the comparative historical information at the end.
March 13, 2020
I liked this but it was painfully slow at times. If you don't have a solid background in this Tudor period as well as a good grasp of the native tribes of the Outer Banks, I don't see how you would enjoy it at all.
February 5, 2019
The idea of what caused the downfall of the lost colony was interesting, but I ended up feeling like the reasons for any intentional sabotage remained unexplained.
May 22, 2025
I expected more from this story. it is historical fiction which I typically love, but the writing was a bit too dry for my tastes.
December 25, 2016
Terrific historical mystery about one of the great mysteries of the early Americans!
March 25, 2009
"Gold is more than greed. It is magic, perhaps the last magic. Alchemists summon it from stone, from scarabs, from bats' wings and the blood of black cats. It is an acid that eats away the will to create and to make instead of to acquire and command and conquer.....Gold is the greatest weapon of mass destruction ever discovered."
When Queen Elizabeth I was in her fifties and had held the throne of England for over twenty five years, her country was a vast web of spies. The Queen was past the age of childbirth and all pretense of a political marriage was fading away. Plots against her life were thick on the ground and war with Spain was imminent. And the Queen needed what monarchs of that age were always short of...MONEY. So, an expedition to the New World is undertaken to harvest the gold and wealth rumored to be found there.
The Queen's advisor, William Cecil, is not the only spymaster in England but he is by far the greatest. Dubbed "The Spider," his huge spy network has protected the Queen from the hundreds of attempts on her life that have been made over the years from various quarters. Two spies, Robert Mowbray and Gabriel North were in the right place at the right time to thwart one such attack. As a result, they are selected to accompany the expedition and to take part in the colonization of Roanoke.
Gabriel is assigned the task of doing whatever is necessary to coax the treasure out of the beautiful Princess of the native Indians, Naia, and bring it back to fill England's coffers. The fact that there is no gold on Roanoke means little to the leaders of the expedition. They are convinced that the gold is being hidden from them and are ruthless in their pursuit of their goal.
It soon becomes clear that the colonists have been dropped on Roanoke completely unprepared and woefully under supplied for life in America. Though part of the spy network, Robert and Gabriel have no idea of the extent to which their own lives and the lives of the colonists have been used in a political game of cat and mouse.
The novelist's answer to the old mystery of what happened to the vanished English colony on Roanoke Island is skilfully woven into this fascinating story. I would recommend Roanoke to anyone who likes historical fiction or mysteries. Margaret Lawrence has a lovely, lyrical way of structuring sentences that I find particularly unique and enjoyable to read:
"There are fragments of living that slip beyond time and lodge themselves permanently in the present, that bring you suddenly out of hiding and drench you with a precious mortality."
When Queen Elizabeth I was in her fifties and had held the throne of England for over twenty five years, her country was a vast web of spies. The Queen was past the age of childbirth and all pretense of a political marriage was fading away. Plots against her life were thick on the ground and war with Spain was imminent. And the Queen needed what monarchs of that age were always short of...MONEY. So, an expedition to the New World is undertaken to harvest the gold and wealth rumored to be found there.
The Queen's advisor, William Cecil, is not the only spymaster in England but he is by far the greatest. Dubbed "The Spider," his huge spy network has protected the Queen from the hundreds of attempts on her life that have been made over the years from various quarters. Two spies, Robert Mowbray and Gabriel North were in the right place at the right time to thwart one such attack. As a result, they are selected to accompany the expedition and to take part in the colonization of Roanoke.
Gabriel is assigned the task of doing whatever is necessary to coax the treasure out of the beautiful Princess of the native Indians, Naia, and bring it back to fill England's coffers. The fact that there is no gold on Roanoke means little to the leaders of the expedition. They are convinced that the gold is being hidden from them and are ruthless in their pursuit of their goal.
It soon becomes clear that the colonists have been dropped on Roanoke completely unprepared and woefully under supplied for life in America. Though part of the spy network, Robert and Gabriel have no idea of the extent to which their own lives and the lives of the colonists have been used in a political game of cat and mouse.
The novelist's answer to the old mystery of what happened to the vanished English colony on Roanoke Island is skilfully woven into this fascinating story. I would recommend Roanoke to anyone who likes historical fiction or mysteries. Margaret Lawrence has a lovely, lyrical way of structuring sentences that I find particularly unique and enjoyable to read:
"There are fragments of living that slip beyond time and lodge themselves permanently in the present, that bring you suddenly out of hiding and drench you with a precious mortality."
January 17, 2010
I waited a long time for Margaret Lawrence to come out with a new historical. Her earlier series set in post-revolutionary Maine (beginning with Hearts and Bones and ending with The Ice Weaver) are books I still return to. Strong, engaging female characters are at the heart of the Hannah Trevor novels, and the story is told in many voices, by means of court testimony, witness statements, Hannah's notes and writings, and the narrator. So I wanted to love Roanoke, but I had some problems with it.
By no means do I expect an author to always write the same book, and in theory I had no problem with the idea that this novel was set in an earlier period (the Elizabethan) and had men as its central characters. But there's something out of balance. The plot swings back and forth between England and the new colony of Roanoke, which establishes a choppy rhythm that might have worked better if the narrator hadn't been one step removed from the main character, Gabriel North.
By no means do I expect an author to always write the same book, and in theory I had no problem with the idea that this novel was set in an earlier period (the Elizabethan) and had men as its central characters. But there's something out of balance. The plot swings back and forth between England and the new colony of Roanoke, which establishes a choppy rhythm that might have worked better if the narrator hadn't been one step removed from the main character, Gabriel North.
August 31, 2009
Ok, I finished it. This is a book written from a male perspective, about another mans experience...once I wrapped my brain around that...it was just weird. Ok, it bases itself around the colony Roanoke, how it came to be and then just vanished and all that. This is a possible of what could have happened. The ending is a bit outlandish, so are some of the events towards the end...it's broken into three sections, I was there until section three basically. Up until then, it was a good mystery, interesting things went on and all that. It built up all that momentum and just sputtered out and died at the end. If you don't mind being let down at the end, go for it, otherwise...don't bother. Apparently she decided to write this book because someone on the passenger list for the second voyage had the same name...seriously? That's not a very good reason...
October 3, 2011
This historical novel/mystery is set in Elizabethan England in the events surrounding the founding of the lost colony of Roanoke. The author turns the colony's fate into a mystery/political thriller, and interweaves its story with political developments in England during the time of the Spanish armada. This is an intriguing premise, and the author does write some well-turned prose. However, the book is littered with dialogue that seems far too modern for the time period. Furthermore, the narrator is a step removed from the main character, which adds to confusion in the text, and the fact that the plot moves back and forth between England and the Americas further confuses the prose. The book has too many characters, none of which are well developed, and most are not very sympathetic. This led me to find the book disappointing overall, although with some positive elements.
May 21, 2012
I came across this book in my local library, unaware of it or the authors' existence. It turned out to be fun.
At first it seemed to be a bit choppy to read, but I did get into the rhythm and enjoy myself. This is Margaret Lawrence's version of what happened to the infamous lost colony of Roanoke Virginia. I have to say it's a bit far fetched for me to even consider as a possiblity, but it was quite interesting.
There really isn't a great deal of character development or any explanation of their true role in history, as the author seemed to assume anyone reading this novel will already be familiar with all the major players in Elizabeth I's government. For those who DO know them it's a fun book. To anyone else it won't matter! It might spark a futher interest in this remarkable woman's reign.
At first it seemed to be a bit choppy to read, but I did get into the rhythm and enjoy myself. This is Margaret Lawrence's version of what happened to the infamous lost colony of Roanoke Virginia. I have to say it's a bit far fetched for me to even consider as a possiblity, but it was quite interesting.
There really isn't a great deal of character development or any explanation of their true role in history, as the author seemed to assume anyone reading this novel will already be familiar with all the major players in Elizabeth I's government. For those who DO know them it's a fun book. To anyone else it won't matter! It might spark a futher interest in this remarkable woman's reign.
June 12, 2009
The idea of what happened on Roanoke five hundred years ago has not really been explored in fiction, and Lawrence's book does an admirable job. The underlying reason is more political and more devious than what may have really occurred, but it is definitely plausible (and make you think...) The descriptions of early America and the early Americans are well-done; sometimes it's difficult to imagine just how untouched the environment was before the European invasion. Also, I appreciate the down-and-dirty details of life in the Elizabethan Era: the struggles of the lower classes and the intrigue of Elizabeth's court. Overall, a good blend of history, fabrication, and compelling story/characters.
August 28, 2009
Lawrence manages to take the known threads of a fascinating historical anomaly and weave it into a dull, lifeless yarn replete with wooden dialogue, confusing sub-plots and characters of little personality or importance.
There is no question in establishing Lawrence's capability as an author: she writes beautifully, often with an extreme amount of detail to costume or character or setting. Unfortunately, she seems to rely too much on these facets of her writing process rather than setting up the intrigue and detail necessary to carry out such an ambitious plotline.
There is no question in establishing Lawrence's capability as an author: she writes beautifully, often with an extreme amount of detail to costume or character or setting. Unfortunately, she seems to rely too much on these facets of her writing process rather than setting up the intrigue and detail necessary to carry out such an ambitious plotline.
November 3, 2011
This had all the usual potential to be a book I would love, but it fell flat. Not sure how much is due to sporadic reading time and interruptions and how much to lack of plot and character development in the writing. Somewhat corny and predictable. Intrigue and polotics at court on one side of the ocean; colonists with competing priorities facing the unknown with insufficient resources and little grounding in reality meet up with politics and intrigue among the natives on the other side of the ocean. This should have been a great book. Maybe I was just too distracted to appreciate it.
September 30, 2009
I'll read any novel about Queen Elizabeth. Heck, my facebook quiz even said I'm her in a previous life! lol. This adult novel follows Gabriel, a spy from the Elizabethan age as he and a coworker travel to and from Roanoke, Virginia to spy for the queen. She plays a minor character in the novel. It focuses on Gabriel and his role in some political and economical turmoil that always follows a royal court. If you're a historical fiction fan, read it.
November 1, 2010
A tale of greed, politics and indifference. Good historical basis for what may have happened to the lost colony of Roanoke. None of the settlers were ever found alive but for years afterward there were tales of lighter-skinned people living among the Indian tribes up and down the coast of the future America.
I felt this book was choppy and not as well-written as her other books. And the plot seemed to "ramble" as well.
I felt this book was choppy and not as well-written as her other books. And the plot seemed to "ramble" as well.
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