Customer Reviews

Cate of the Lost Colony

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I'm stunned! I normally quite enjoy Historical Fiction but this time... I mean, come on! This is probably the single one thing in history that I would die to read about, and Lisa Klein does a marvelous job with it. It will always be one of the greatest historical mystery, but now I have an alternate ending that completely satisfied me. I was truly amazed by the way the story flows naturally and provides the reader such vivid insight with the several POVs and letter format. Plus, the poetry was a bonus!

I also enjoyed the fact that the book takes place in both settings: England and the New World. Descriptions were incredibly atmospheric and I felt myself standing in both places. It was absolutely fantastic the way I felt like I traveled to inside the book. I felt I was Catherine, I felt her joy and pain, and the frustration of living in such complicated times and situations.

The writing was delightful, and Catherine's voice was unique and compelling. It's hard to believe she's not as real as the rest. I don't think there is any better way to learn history while enjoying an amazing journey than to read Historical Fiction. It's way too fun to call it studying, but in a way it's exactly what it is. At the begging of the book there's a list of characters that specify which existed and which were made for the story and at the end of the book there's an author's note that explains which parts are true and further readings.

If you've never tried historical fiction, this is an excellent option to start the right way. It's the kind of story that will very much appeal the reluctant readers. On the other hand, if you enjoy the genre already, go out and get this one NOW!! You'll thank me later.

Catherine Archer is the orphaned daughter of a nobleman, called to attend Queen Elizabeth when she's only fourteen. As one of Elizabeth's maids of honor, Cate stays in the maid's dormitory, runs small errands and tends to the queen needs, particularly caring for her wardrobe (ever wonder who prepared all those pleated and starched neck ruffs? The longsuffering ladies in waiting). The queen inspires devotion, and Cate all but worships her. That is, until Cate begins to fall for Sir Walter Raleigh, a handsome courtier who the queen wants to keep to herself. Poor Cate gets caught up in a storm of trouble that leads her to settle in the legendary "lost" colony of Roanoke in Virginia where she finds love with an English-speaking native man, Manteo.

For historical fiction, the novel works very nicely. There's a wonderfully handy guide in the front the book which lists which characters are historical and which are fictional, and whether they appear in England, Virginia, or both. Tidbits of court life at Whitehall Palace seem right in keeping with the times, and the portrayal of Queen Elizabeth's grandness and capriciousness is spot-on. Historical fans won't be disappointed in the level of realism in the action and dialogue.

I had some trouble connecting with the characters. Walter Raleigh doesn't get a POV, but several chapters consist of his letters, journal, and poems, all of which make him seem to be an absolutely dreadful person. He's fawning over the aging queen at one moment, then complaining about her in the next, because he doesn't like how she shows him favor but fails to give him money. This leads to him getting into debt by living the high life he expects he'll eventually be able to afford. And even while he's buttering the queen up like a bread roll, he's sighing over Cate, though he's really just falling for her lovely appearance and her general demeanor of sweetness--he never mentions love. Also, he's desperate for riches, which is the impetus that leads him to start a colony in the New World where gold is rumored to be abundant.

Raleigh's character bothered me so much that it affected my opinion of Cate, who is a gentle soul but always seems to make the worst decisions. She's about sixteen when she starts falling for Raleigh and she hasn't yet been jaded by court life, so her preference for him could be chalked up to inexperience, but when he has no virtues except good looks and a gift for flattery, it kind of cheapens her love, though she's sincere. Then, she doesn't show the caution necessary for survival in her circumstances; she accepts Raleigh's handkerchief (a gift first given to him by the queen) and keeps all his love letters instead of burning them. The discovery of those letters leads to her spending a few weeks locked in the Tower of London, followed by an exile to the New World. But it's all for the best, because she actually wanted to start her life over in Virginia, and she gets to meet Manteo and prove her mettle by being brave, helping the native women, and trying to keep the peace.

We get some Manteo POV, but I didn't get a real feel for his personality, except that he's sensible, peace-making, and wants to be a great and powerful man. He's a much better choice for Cate than Raleigh, but I didn't quite feel the love growing between them, though their story is compelling. Cate of the Lost Colony is well researched and well executed, even if the characters themselves didn't entirely appeal to me. Pick it up if you're interested in this period in history, or are looking for a nice example of historical YA.

I have always been fascinated by the question of what happened to the Roanoke colony since the first time we read about it in History class so this book immediately caught my eye. While not horrible it did not live up to my expectations. The story alternates from being told from Cate's point of view, a Native American named Manteo's point of view and various correspondence from Sir Walter Raleigh. I enjoyed reading Cate's and Manteo's POVs but I just could not get into the format of hearing Walter Raleigh's POV based on letters to his brother and other pieces of writing. It just did not have the nice flow of events and seemed too disjointed.

The characters

Cate was an interesting mixture of proud, naive and stubbornness. She makes some phenomenally stupid mistakes but you have to keep in mind that she was not raised at court and apparently even after four years living at court still committed some monumental faux pas. Even when she reaches America her naive stubbornness that the natives would not harm her gets her into more trouble but you do have to admire her spunk.

Sir Walter Raleigh was harder to get into because as I mentioned I did not care for getting his POV through letters. He definitely does not come off as the hero type and you have to wonder what Cate really sees in him.

I wish we had gotten more of Manteo's POV. He had the potential to be the most interesting character as he traveled from America to visit England and then returns home to be the guide and ambassador for the colonists. We get to see some of his thoughts about the differences in the two cultures and how his view changes from awe and seeing the white folks as almost gods to seeing them more as petty children who can't get along or know even the most basic survival skills.

The story

I found the portion that takes place in England to be just too long and I was wondering when would we actually see anything take place in Roanoke. Once the colonists arrive in Roanoke the story picked up and definitely caught my attention. I enjoyed seeing how the colonists go from the conquering adventurers out to make a fortune to having to face the reality of building a new world in an unfriendly environment. I can only imagine how difficult it must be especially when you figured many of the initial colonists left England because of their own problems and not because they thought they could work well together.

The romance

I was glad that although Cate falls for Walter Raleigh and this leads to her downfall the book wasn't a pure romance story and focused more on the evolving character of Cate. I did find it hard to see why she would fall in love with Walter Raleigh based on what we see of his actions but I suppose it can be chalked up to her being so naive. Who she ends up with in the end is not a surprise but I would have liked to see more build up instead of the sudden declaration that she loves this man.

Overall if you enjoy hearing different theories of what happened to the Roanoke colonists this is an enjoyable read

Short and Sweet: I have a long standing love for the lost colony of Roanoke. It is one of those places growing up that you hear about and your imagination fills in the blanks about what really happened. In Cate of the Lost Colony, Klein has taken the little that historians have discovered and blended it with her fiction. And what a tale it was!

Final Verdict: Klein has captured everything that I had hoped that Cate of the Lost Colony would be, and made it believable. Cate, our main character, has some of the best character growth that I have seen in ages. She starts the novel as a shy girl who is taken in by the courts and its intrigue, and transforms into a strong young woman who is capable of handling almost everything. Final Verdict? Cate of the Lost Colony was fabulous. Blending history, intrigue, and a touch of romance, I loved every second of this novel.

How have I not read anything by the amazingness that is Lisa Klein before? Cate of the Lost Colony was an engaging, original, and very well written novel that had me reading late into the night. Historical fiction has always been one of my favorite genres and I've read about a variety of time periods. The lost colony of Roanoke is something that interests me very much, but it's also one of the only parts of American history I haven't read much about!

The main character, Cate Archer, is such a fantastic heroine. She keeps the story moving and adds so much to the novel. Cate is strong willed, determined, and is never afraid to speak her mind. From the time Cate moves into the palace to serve Queen Elizabeth I was drawn into her story. Queen Elizabeth is one of my favorite historical figures, but Lisa definitely presented her in a new light. During this time, the Virgin Queen is no longer as young and beautiful as she normally is presented. Her life is rough and she is dealing with a variety of issues and struggles, but Cate is luckily one of her favorites. Reading about Cate's experience in court was entertaining and I loved Emme, Cate's fellow maid and loving friend from the start.

Unfortunately things take a turn for the worst when Cate is exiled to the new colony of Roanoke after the Queen discovers her hidden romance with Sir Walter Ralegh. The novel was mainly told from Cate's perspective, but a few chapters were told from the point of view of Sir Walter as well as another character, a Native American named Manteo. It was a great way to discover what the other two were feeling and to see the world through the eyes of two very different people.

The plot was fast paced and kept me constantly wanting to know how things were going to turn out for Cate and the other colonists. The emotions and tensions ran high and I practically felt like I was experiencing everything with the Roanoke colonists. Lisa managed to tie in a variety of historical facts without making it dull. I learned a lot more about the time period from this book than I ever did in history class. It was equally interesting to read Lisa's thoughts on what she thought happened to the colonists of Roanoke and I agree that something similar did occur.

Cate of the Lost Colony was not just the story of Cate Archer and Roanoke Island, there was also a love triangle! Reading about Cate's growing relationship with Manteo and Sir Walter Ralegh was one of my favorite aspects of the book. The two men were so different and came from opposite sides of the world, yet Cate still fell in love with each of them. I definitely supported her final decision :)

Overall, Cate of the Lost Colony was an amazing novel that left me eager to read more by Lisa Klein in the future. She is a fantastic writer and deftly weaves historical facts into an original and entertaining story. Cate is a fantastic main character and every reader will like her from the start. I've already gotten my mom to read this book and can't wait to recommend it to more people!

I have always been enchanted in the mystery of Roanoke Island and the missing colonist. Klein creates an enchanting portrait of what could happen through the eyes of Kate. Cate was such a strong character and that radiated in the narrative. The details of history in the plot didn't overshadow what was happening to Cate, but enriched the plot and made it and experience. This book was unlike anything in the historical fiction genre and I recommend it to people that don't usually read it. Klien's previous books were the reason that I wanted to read this. I am glad to find another book that enthralls and keeps me wanting more.

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa M. Klein was an extraordinary tale with rich characters and writing that has the power to win over everyone who reads, even those who might not be fans of historical novels. Trust me on this, I'm proof of that. In a time of history that's full of many holes and mysteries, Klein does an amazing job sewing the seeds around the lost colony of Roanoke to make you feel like your right in the thick of it all and her fact blended with fiction gives this romantic tale a feeling of truth.

The characters are vast and their plights intriguing. With each page I was swept up further into their world. With a vivid picture of each character and place in my mind, there was without a doubt of my falling in love with everything this book gives.

When Cate's father dies, she's shipped off to live with an aunt, uncle and cousins who neither want her, nor can afford to keep her. Soon she finds herself saved so to speak by Queen Elizabeth to be part of her court as one her maids. She wants nothing more then to do a good job and be in the good graces and favored by the Queen. Cate is strong and does her job with purpose just as she set out to do, to take care of the Queen above and beyond that of anyone else. You can tell Cate wants a caring relationship with the queen and goes out to prove herself worthy of just this over and over again.

Soon after arriving in the queen's court she's noticed by someone the Queen favors above all other men - Sir Walter Raleigh. He's handsome, poetic and more than entertaining to the Queen and those around her, including Cate.

The two start a secret love affair of sorts- which was innocent and thrilling to follow along with their part of the story. Quickly you can see things going wrong in bad choices each make to keep this secret relationship alive. Sadly they are caught and poor Cate is shipped of to Virginia - the new world - for punishment and to help start a new Colony that Sir Walter Raleigh wants so badly.

I can't forget to mention the smatterings throughout, of letters and poems and such from Sir Walter Raleigh. Being that this book is written from almost solely Cate's perspective, it was nice to read these which gives the reader better insight into just what he was going through on his side of the world. I can't forget to mention Manteo - the native who was originally brought from Roanoke during the first journey to be introduced to the Queen. He was not only interesting and intriguing, but such a calming voice that everyone should have listened to sooner rather than later. He was a favorite character of mine throughout this story and I enjoyed the few brief moments when the story was told from his point of view.

Throughout the book we learn more about the "lost" colony of Roanoke. The fact and fiction that Klein has combined was done amazingly well and if you ask me she has thought of everything. Without a doubt, you can see the research that Klein has put in to making this story work and solely her own. It's easy to say this one of my favorite books of the year and I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

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Orphaned after her father dies in war, Lady Catherine Archer is left in the care of her aunt and uncle--who don't exactly want her. Almost immediately called away as a maid for Queen Elizabeth I, though and that's where Cate of the Lost Colony really begins.

One of the girls responsible for the daily care of the queen--from fetching her clothing to washing and starching her ruffs (those huge white collars they used to wear) to accompanying the queen on her excursions--Catherine, only fourteen, has to learn the ins and outs of palace life and protocol.

No matter the rules, however, she finds it hard to keep all of her thoughts to herself especially where a certain paramour of the Queen's, Sir Walter Ralegh is concerned. Even knowing it will undoubtedly lead to trouble, Catherine can't seem to complete ignore Sir Walter, even under the ever watchful eye of the Queen and her other, not always friendly, maids.

Things do eventually lead to the Lost Colony of Roanoke (but that's much later on and I'm all for the anti-spoiler synopses, keep reading for more about this).


The summaries provided on different book-ish/buying websites and on the back of the book itself, (even the title actually) give more of the plot away, but much of that doesn't happen until Part II and Part III. Part I is a lot about building who Catherine is and her relationships with different characters while working as one of the Queen's maids.

I really enjoyed that so much time was spent developing all of the characters and their relationships before Roanoke was even introduced, it really helped me care more about them once they were in Virginia. It was a historical book but one as much if not more about a character than the events.





There's an index in the front of the book to let you know which characters are real/historical and which are fictional (Cate is fictional) and the author's note in the back does a great job summing up the history--what's real, what's not so much, and where you can go to get more.

Cate of the Lost Colony blends just enough romance, history, and adventure to be a really good read. I'm looking forward to reading some of Lisa Klein's other books now.



(review copied from my blog-book received from publisher)

Cate of the Lost Colony is a richly, creatively told story that combines fact and fiction in a way that not only has you learn new details about England, Elizabeth, and Roanoke Island but also leaves you breathless to find out more of what happened to the fictional protagonist of Cate.

Cate of the Lost Colony is the story of Lady Catherine, a girl who's nearly hitting rock bottom thanks to the death of her father and the loss of nearly everything she called home. But, as it turns out her luck is soon to change when Queen Elizabeth sends her a personal letter asking Cate to be one of her court maidens. Cate, thrilled at the news, quickly packs her few belongings, and sets off for court in hope of a new and better life. Though, as it turns out court will bring good, as well as bad things. Good being the fact she makes one of the best friends of her life and quickly becomes one of the queen's favorite and bad being the fact that after an illicit romance with Sir Walter Ralegh she's exiled to the colony of Roanoke, providing a struggle bigger than any other Cate has faced before. Will Cate be able to save herself, as well as the other lost colonists? Will Sir Walter Ralegh come back and profess his love, or will Cate find someone else? Only time will tell in this highly addictive tale of court drama, forbidden loves, and one incredible teen girl.

Cate is one of the bravest and strong willed protagonists I've read about in ages, which left me to have nothing but respect and admiration for this young girl, who manages to have everything taken from her and yet rebuild it all more than once. I loved the way Cate would never shy away from speaking her feelings, something most girls in her time wouldn't, and how she was always one to come up with a creative new way to get along with the Indians and unite Roanoke as a colony. One of my favorite parts of Cate of the Lost Colony was the relationships she made throughout. Her friendship with Emme, one of the girls at court, was one of my favorites because it was a fun addition, and their friendship often felt real and not forced. I also loved reading about her connection to Manteo, though I personally would have loved a bit more development to their relationship.

The premise is this is great (I loved the idea of half of the novel taking place at Roanoke and how it dealt with what happened to the colonists that were left there to fend for themselves) and the execution was equally good. I enjoyed the way the story was separated in three different parts, as well as how greatly of detail and accuracy Klein put into this book.

My only complaint about Cate of the Lost Colony would be the way it lagged at times and how some passages sounded a bit like a history book.

While it did have those faults, Cate of the Lost Colony is still a book I highly enjoyed and when I can't help but suggest to all you history buffs and historical fiction fans!

Grade: B