Due to causes outside of his control he had to leave the
colony and return to England. While he was there he could not get back to
Roanoke for over two years. When he returns all the people (numbering over 100
when he left) were gone. The only trace left were the deteriorated and destroyed
buildings in the Fort. Some dead bodies were found but not enough to account for
the number he left behind. It is a mystery that has never been solved. The book
presents a fictionalized version of what happened in John White’s absence.
The story starts in England in the book follows Maggie and
John. Maggie and John had worked for a and English cooper. Following Maggie’s
rape by the cooper, John beat the cooper severely and we find out later killed
him without Maggie’s knowledge. Maggie and John are chased by the cooper’s
brother Sheridan. Maggie and John gain places on a ship heading to the New
World (Roanoke Island). After John’s violence Maggie sees him in a different
light and draws away from him. Maggie’s placing on the ship was to John White’s
household (Roanoke mayor) and tends to John White’s daughter who is expecting.
The long journey to Roanoke Island is made longer by a stop
in the Caribbean. The captain wanted to prey on Spanish ships and the
accompanying riches. Finally they are off to Roanoke Island. The plan is to
pick up the few troops that were left behind on the previous expedition. Then head
north to the Chesapeake Bay area. John White realized there were burnt bridges
the previous year at Roanoke Island. The captain of the troops was a
bloodthirsty man and his cold-blooded treatment of the local friendly Indians
meant they had no more allies on their return. There was a group of Indians
that were very unfriendly to the settlers and one that was friendly. The
bloodthirsty captain did not differentiate between the two. It was thought best
to head north and find a friendlier place to reside.
When they arrive at Roanoke Island they find it empty. It
was thought the soldiers were either killed or carried off as slaves. Then
their plan to head to a friendlier area was thwarted. The ship’s captain
decided to leave them there while he sought out more Spanish treasure. He left
them behind and promised to return in a few months. Of course that never
happened and they were trapped.
There was so much intrigue it’s hard to condense it. There
were a number of factions in this community of about 100 people. There were the
soldiers, the settlers and an administrative group made up mostly of Sir Walter
Raleigh’s representatives. This group was there to find gold and their efforts
to do this lead to disastrous consequences. John White tried a reasonable
approach to find a safer area but the group of representatives kept them there
even though it was unsafe.
The missing captain did return but there was no time left to
take them north because of stormy seas. The group of gold seekers
manipulated things so John White was sent back to England with the original
group of ships. It took months to get there and when John White got there he
found there was a moratorium on ships heading away from England. War with Spain
was expected.
When war happened with Spain John White had no way of
getting the needed ships to head to the New World and rescue his family and the
other settlers. This went on for about two years. The book sets forth the
decline and ruin of the existing settlement. The soldier faction “goes off the
reservation” and takes over and makes things impossible with the local Indians.
The
starvation and soldiers killing makes it difficult. The book is very well done
but sad at the same time. Eventually John White does return but I won’t mention
anything about that. I don’t want to ruin the book's ending.
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