Customer Reviews

Roanoke: The Lost Colony (Keepers of the Ring Series, No. 1)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A few years ago, our family vacationed in the Outer Banks (islands off the coast of North Carolina. We saw a live play on Roanoke Island called "The Lost Colony". This play has been running for 60 years in the same location! It was fascinating to learn about these colonists from England who came over before the other colonists that we're traditionally more informed about - the settling of Jamestown in Virginia in 1607, then Maryland in 1632 and Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1620 and 1630.

Angela Hunt's book contains characters that were real people in history - Governor John White, Ananias Dare and his wife Eleanor, and Virginia Dare, John's grand-daughter who was the first English baby born on American soil, in August of 1587. After his grandchild is born, John White returns to England to get more food, supplies and more colonists. Because of England's war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth doesn't allow him to return! A few years later, he finally gets there and doesn't find his colony!

This novel portrays what might have happened - how these people lived and loved and worshiped and dealt with Indians and with each other. Jocelyn, the main character and Eleanor Dare's cousin, is married to Thomas, the pastor of the colony. Her loving patience with a husband who feels that it is sinful to love his wife is truly inspiring. The book takes place over about 20 years.

This series is continued with 3 children who escape Indian attack and escape to what will be Jamestown. The next book is entitled Jamestown.

If you are at all interested in history (or even if you're not!), this is a marvelous book, mixture of fiction and fact, and speculation of whatever happened to The Lost Colony.

I'm starting the next book in the series - I hope the next one is as good as this one!

Please check out my other reviews of Christian books and music.

God bless you!

Historical fiction requires an author "do her homework" to make it believable. Hunt's research into the mysterious Lost Colony at Roanoke enabled her to produce an outstanding historical novel. The characters are deep and complex, and there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep you turning the pages. The only "buyer beware" for this book is that it does have a Christian theme to it, and the faith of the characters is a major part of the story. So, if you don't like Christianity in your fiction, this may not be a book for you. Otherwise, enjoy!

This book is a wonderful book. I enjoyed it tremedously. Anela Hunt knows how to capture your attention and hold on to it. She adds a lot of history to her books, and I enjoy reading about history along with a good love story. I would recommed this book to anyone that loves the times back in the 1600's and 1700's, and loves to read about the Indians and the English. This book is very good.

Hunt is a magnificent writer. I loved this book. She brings you into the story, lets you feel what the characters are feeling, thier frustration, anger, and pain. Roanoke the Lost Colony is a riviting story, and i highly recommend it to all!

My wife has enjoyed some novels by Angela Hunt, and I happened to pick this one up because I'm a history buff, with a special interest in the American colonial period. I'm sorry to say this, but this novel (and so many other 'historical' novels, alas) does not pass muster historically. With so many excellent histories of the English colonies, I would think the author could have spent some time boning up on her history of manners, religious practices, etc, before foisting this on the public. I realize that there is no arguing with the enjoyment of a novel--I mean, if you like the story and characters, you probably don't give a hoot whether it is historically accurate. But frankly the constant historical errors were too much of a distraction for me, and to be honest I did not find the characters very interesting. I am a Christian myself, but this and other 'Christian' novels give the impression that the writers have never actually heard real human conversations take place. They simply lack the ability to convince the reader that real people with real emotions are speaking to one another. That, and the lack of historical research, spoiled this for me.

I thought this was a wonderful book. Ms. Hunt does a great job of bring the people and places to life. Jocelyn is a young woman who is forced to go to America with her uncle & cousin's family. Her father forces her to go because he does not want her to watch him die. Thomas is a preacher who is going on the voyage to get away from his life. However, the only way he can go is to agree to either marry Jocelyn or spend 15 years as an indentured servant to Jocelyn's uncle.

Thomas & Jocelyn meet on board and they get married on board. However, Jocelyn has a tendency to misread Thomas' feelings and words throughout the book. This leads to some heartbreaking moments on both character's parts. You just think "If they would only just sit down and talk it out" but it never happens the way you want it to.

The book follows the adventures of the colonists to Raleigh and offers a view into why they may have disappeared. There are the inevitable fights about religion and interaction with the Indians, and how to get word to England. One thing I liked about this book was how the characters were portrayed. I saw the characters change from their time in England to once they were settled in America. It seemed that even the common people got a new voice in a new land.

The love story between Thomas & Jocelyn is touching and frustrating. Expect to be in tears at various times throughout the book. On to book 2 in the series.

I have read several of Angela Hunt's books and have enjoyed most of them very much. I can't really say I enjoyed this one very much at all. To me a good book should capture your attention and keep it throughout the book and you should like the main charactors.

The beginning of the book slightly captured my interest...but after the marriage of Thomas & Jocelyn, it seemed as if I was forcing myself to continue reading. I kept expecting it to get better...which it really never did. I found myself feeling a stronger and stronger dislike for Thomas and disgust for Jocelyn for putting up with this self-righteous man who basically treated those around him as if he was God. If these people's charactors were better developed I could have been cheering for them instead. More should have been explained about Thomas's past and not left until the end to show the softer side of him. I am a Christian...and could not relate to him at all. For a man who was supposedly a 'believer' in grace and even a minister...his behavior displayed none of it at all. The man obviously didn't know the meaning of the words, love or forgiveness. I might give the next book a try...especially since Thomas and Jocelyn won't be in it.

I have read many books by Angela Hunt and enjoyed them, however this book took a different tone.
The story was engrossing and fairly easy to follow (even for a non-history buff), but the story was very dark and depressing, and the descriptions of the character's emotional suffering was extensive.

I've read several of Ms. Hunt's books. The main relationship in this book is rather painful to "witness" through most of the book. There is also plenty of death and destruction involving the characters (probably historically accurate for the time period--but slightly depressing). The overall writing is good--but don't expect to feel good through most of the book.

As a school librarian, I read many books. Angela E. Hunt has a wonder gift to be shared with everyone---storytelling! Roanoke was a very well-written story that allows the reader to "be there". I really appreciate historical fiction like this one. I wouldn' t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.