| The White Doe of the Outer Banks Grows into Womanhood Return to the “what if” questions surrounding the Lost Colony and explore the possible fate of Virginia Dare–the first English child born in the New World. What happened to her after her grandfather John White returned to England and the colony he established disappeared into the mists of time? Legends abound, but she was indeed a real girl who, if she survived to adulthood, must have also become part of the legacy that is the people of the Outer Banks. In the spring of 1602 by English reckoning, “Ginny,” as she is called by family and friends, is fourteen and firmly considered a grown woman by the standards of the People. For her entire life she has watched the beautiful give-and-take of the Kurawoten and other native peoples with the English who came from across the ocean. She’s enjoyed being the darling of both English and Kurawoten alike—but a stirring deep inside her will not be put to rest. |  |
One careless decision lands her and fellow “first baby” Henry Harvie, along with their Croatoan friend Redbud, in enemy hands. Carried away into Mangoac territory, out of the reach of Manteo and the others, she must learn who she truly is—not only the daughter of Elinor and Ananias Dare but also a child of the One True God, who gives her courage to go wherever the path of her life might lead.
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Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Romance
Release date: September, 2024
Release date: September, 2024
My Review
Can she hang on to faith while she is a captive?
I have long been fascinated by one of the greatest American mysteries of all time, what happened to the lost colony of Roanoke? As a result of that fascination I have eagerly read every single one of Shannon McNear's intriguing Daughters Of The Lost Colony series. Virginia is the 'final' book in that series and her 'story' is one that I have been looking forward to since reading the very first book.
Full of rich historical detail, great characters, and an intriguing what if scenario, Virginia is a good read, really, the entire Daughters of The Lost Colony series is a don't miss it for Christian historical fiction lovers.
I really liked the two main characters in this fourth Daughters Of The Lost Colony novel. Ginny is so headstrong but she is also loyal and loves fiercely. Her hero is exactly what she needs, strong but kind and wise even beyond his years.
Of the 4 books in this series from Shannon McNear, I think that this is one of the best. The first one, Elinor is probably my favorite, but Virginia is the one that kept my attention from start to finish with little to sidetrack me. Anyway, Shannon McNear did a great job with this book and series in general and I'm glad to have spent the time reading it....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Virginia by Shannon McNear a 4 Bark rating.
I have long been fascinated by one of the greatest American mysteries of all time, what happened to the lost colony of Roanoke? As a result of that fascination I have eagerly read every single one of Shannon McNear's intriguing Daughters Of The Lost Colony series. Virginia is the 'final' book in that series and her 'story' is one that I have been looking forward to since reading the very first book.
Full of rich historical detail, great characters, and an intriguing what if scenario, Virginia is a good read, really, the entire Daughters of The Lost Colony series is a don't miss it for Christian historical fiction lovers.
I really liked the two main characters in this fourth Daughters Of The Lost Colony novel. Ginny is so headstrong but she is also loyal and loves fiercely. Her hero is exactly what she needs, strong but kind and wise even beyond his years.
Of the 4 books in this series from Shannon McNear, I think that this is one of the best. The first one, Elinor is probably my favorite, but Virginia is the one that kept my attention from start to finish with little to sidetrack me. Anyway, Shannon McNear did a great job with this book and series in general and I'm glad to have spent the time reading it....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Virginia by Shannon McNear a 4 Bark rating.
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
More from Shannon
So—here we are! I am just so, SO, sooo blessed to get to be on Celebrate Lit yet again. And book FOUR of my Lost Colony series! Initially I thought two, maybe three books. I pretty much disregarded the possibility of writing Virginia Dare’s story because, well, there’s a good bit of mythology surrounding her, and I felt absolutely no inclination to tackle any of that.
Until early last year. The idea dropped into my head and seemed too obvious to turn away. I didn’t have much idea of what would actually happen in the story, although I knew I wanted to explore the identity of the Mangoac, who held the interior of what is now North Carolina and Virginia when the Spanish and the English first arrived in the New World. They spoke an Iroquoian language and were referred to with dread and distaste among all their neighbors, including the Powhatan. Those people are what we know now as the Tuscarora.
Little was known of the Tuscarora before John Lawson wrote of his journey through the Carolinas in 1700-01. A few years later, Lawson himself met with a fairly horrible death at the hands of the Tuscarora (one wonders what he might have done to tick them off), and tensions soon escalated between settlers and indigenous peoples into all-out war. After their defeat by the English, the Tuscarora people moved northward and became the sixth nation of the Iroquois Confederacy.
They call themselves Skaru:re--pronounced sgah-ROOO-rah (with that long “ooh” held out a little extra)—translated variously as “Long-Shirt People” or “Hemp People,” for the garments they would weave from “Indian hemp,” also known as milkweed. The Tuscarora word for milkweed does indeed contain the same root as Skaru:re, but no one knows when as a people they might have made the transition from merely using milkweed fiber for cording or twine to spinning and weaving it into fabric, as the English did flax for linen.
I decided to have a bit of fun in my story, then, with Ginny being questioned about the making of a linen garment, and then a later mention of a “rough, twiny fabric.” I’d meant to expand upon that a bit, or at least address it in the historical notes at the end—and then completely forgot until working through the galleys.
So I get to talk about it—now.
You might guess that both details, which may feel random to the casual reader, are a nod to the translation of the name Skaru:re, and to the influence that either the Spanish or the English might have had on various Native people groups. A good author endeavors, of course, to not have any random details littering a story. In Virginia, many small things point back to previous stories—there are hints of connection to Rebecca as well even though either story could be read before the other. By the same token, all four books are what we could term alternate history—a reach beyond what is known into what might have been. I think it most likely that as Native peoples acquired European fashions, they used what they already had (in the case of the Skaru:re, a familiarity with milkweed and other materials to provide fiber) to produce garments and other items modeled after what the Spanish and English used. They were nothing if not eager to take advantage of new technologies—and what if their contact with members of the Lost Colony was what sparked the idea behind their famed “long shirts”?
A stretch, for sure. But there’s a reason why I’ve always enjoyed writing speculative fiction as well as historical.
Until early last year. The idea dropped into my head and seemed too obvious to turn away. I didn’t have much idea of what would actually happen in the story, although I knew I wanted to explore the identity of the Mangoac, who held the interior of what is now North Carolina and Virginia when the Spanish and the English first arrived in the New World. They spoke an Iroquoian language and were referred to with dread and distaste among all their neighbors, including the Powhatan. Those people are what we know now as the Tuscarora.
Little was known of the Tuscarora before John Lawson wrote of his journey through the Carolinas in 1700-01. A few years later, Lawson himself met with a fairly horrible death at the hands of the Tuscarora (one wonders what he might have done to tick them off), and tensions soon escalated between settlers and indigenous peoples into all-out war. After their defeat by the English, the Tuscarora people moved northward and became the sixth nation of the Iroquois Confederacy.
They call themselves Skaru:re--pronounced sgah-ROOO-rah (with that long “ooh” held out a little extra)—translated variously as “Long-Shirt People” or “Hemp People,” for the garments they would weave from “Indian hemp,” also known as milkweed. The Tuscarora word for milkweed does indeed contain the same root as Skaru:re, but no one knows when as a people they might have made the transition from merely using milkweed fiber for cording or twine to spinning and weaving it into fabric, as the English did flax for linen.
I decided to have a bit of fun in my story, then, with Ginny being questioned about the making of a linen garment, and then a later mention of a “rough, twiny fabric.” I’d meant to expand upon that a bit, or at least address it in the historical notes at the end—and then completely forgot until working through the galleys.
So I get to talk about it—now.
You might guess that both details, which may feel random to the casual reader, are a nod to the translation of the name Skaru:re, and to the influence that either the Spanish or the English might have had on various Native people groups. A good author endeavors, of course, to not have any random details littering a story. In Virginia, many small things point back to previous stories—there are hints of connection to Rebecca as well even though either story could be read before the other. By the same token, all four books are what we could term alternate history—a reach beyond what is known into what might have been. I think it most likely that as Native peoples acquired European fashions, they used what they already had (in the case of the Skaru:re, a familiarity with milkweed and other materials to provide fiber) to produce garments and other items modeled after what the Spanish and English used. They were nothing if not eager to take advantage of new technologies—and what if their contact with members of the Lost Colony was what sparked the idea behind their famed “long shirts”?
A stretch, for sure. But there’s a reason why I’ve always enjoyed writing speculative fiction as well as historical.
 Shannon McNear | Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in the Deep South, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s the author of four novellas, the first a 2014 RITA® nominee and the most recent a 2021 SELAH winner, and six full-length novels. Her greatest joy, however, is in being a military wife, mom, mother-in-law, and grammie. She’s been a contributor to Colonial Quills and The Borrowed Book, and is a current member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers. When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies. |
It's Time For A Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize of
a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!
a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
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Holly’s Book Corner, October 16
Sylvan Musings, October 17
Pause for Tales, October 17
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 4
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 5
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 6
To Everything There Is A Season, October 6
Devoted To Hope, October 7
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 8
lakesidelivingsite, October 9
Texas Book-aholic, October 9
Betti Mace, October 10
Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 11
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, October 11
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 12
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 13
Bizwings Book Blog, October 14
Cover Lover Book Review, October 15
Lights in a Dark World, October 15
Holly’s Book Corner, October 16
Sylvan Musings, October 17
Pause for Tales, October 17