Roanoke: A Novel of Elizabethan Intrigue

By Margaret Lawrence

In the spring of 1585, seven English ships sailed around Cape Feare and up the windswept coast of Florida. Their mission: 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 suited: 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 27, 2009
• ISBN: 9780440338369

Reviews for Roanoke

[rrees_15 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Although an interesting subject I found the presentation style (mixing interpretation with quotation from sources) hard to get along with. It is also an investigation and "solution" that is almost entirely based on historical sources with no input from archaeological, natural history or genetic sources. I felt it was half of the story. Neither comprehensive nor a neutral overview of the subject.

[ccmambretti · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I usually read every word in books about the lost colony, but I couldn't get past about the first third of this one. I see there's a new 2006 edition, which I might look into. However, I much prefer [David Strick]'s [Roanoke Island: The Beginning of English America].

[marianv_39 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Roanoke, the colony founded by Sir Walter Raleigh among others, is usually known as the "lost" colony. How a colony involving several hundred people becomes lost is an interesting story. It has been told before & probably will be again as new technology un-earths clues & evidence. This book, however dwells more on speculation than bringing new facts to light. It is interesting to read of the settlers' hardships & it seems amazing that any colonies were able to survive.

[jbd1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A poorly-written and unconvincing book.

[nielsengw_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Miller tries with all her might to make history intriguing. This tale of the lost colony of Roanoke has as much as any ethnohistorical book can. While the typography of the work can take some getting used to, it does mesh together primary accounts with historical extrapolation very well. Her non-linear narrative is the only thing I would change.

[natashaslove · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Since I love the subject I really wanted to like this book, but just couldn't. As the author intended to write this as a detective mystery, the book is covered with sentence fragments for effect. That alone keeps the book from flowing. It may seem like a trivial complaint, but when you see that about 1/4 of the book is written in sentence fragments you will get the feeling you are reading someone's notes. In addition, the author creates a whole different mystery (about powerful English nobles who set the colony up for failure) which may or may not be true but the real mystery is what happened to the colonists after they arrived on Roanoke Island. She does explain that (although I think not conclusively) but spends too much time on English politics that just isn't interesting to a non-specialist. Even in the explanation of what happened to the colony there is no reference to DNA, which would seem critical to solving the mystery of what happened to the colonists.

[beammey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I give this 3.5 out of 4 stars. I would have given it more, but it reads like an essay and because of that I couldn't get into it and really connect with any characters. Still, it was interesting to hear her theory and it does make sense. Is this what happened? Who knows, but it does make you think. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys American history or mysteries.

[lemuralley · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Miller's argument about what happened to the lost colony on Roanoke island is interesting and unusual. But her writing style is horrifying. Fragments aren't sentences. Small children know this. Are taught this. In school. Miller, however, doesn't seem to know this. The entire 260-page book is written like that, I suppose, to add drama. Every now and then there are paragraphs written in complete sentences, and those paragraphs are like a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, those paragraphs are rare; I had to give up about a third of a way into the book. I'd have been smacked down in school if I'd turned in anything written the way this book is written.

[haroldtitus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book after having written a first draft novel about the attempts made by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish a colony on the outer banks of North Carolina. The draft remains shelved, but Lee Miller's book provided informed speculation about why the "lost colony" of Roanoke disappeared and where the settlers scattered causing me to consider resuming my project. I appreciated her background information about the miserable lives of ordinary Englishmen, the Queen's treacherous advisors, and the culture of the native Americans. My raiting reflects the vaule of the information she provides.

[mscongeniality · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the most poorly written history books it has been my misfortune to read. I regret having paid full price for it.

[goet0095 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overall, I thought the author presented a very well-researched and plausible explanation for what happened to the Roanoke Colony. It seemed like there wasn't much information available about the Colony, so I was surprised she was able to write an entire book about it. A few major complaints that almost prevented me from finishing the book:
- The first 2/3 of the book was pretty dry, and it finally picked up at the end.
- The author used italics to when quoting various sources, mostly in the middle of sentences. That prevented her from being able to use italics for emphasis, and I found it to be very distracting.
- The author had the worst editor of all time, who allowed her to get away with fragmented sentences...throughout the entire book. Here is an example: "Walsingham is the Queen's Principal Secretary. Secretary of State. Master politician. Machiavellian." It drove me crazy!
-The author presented the story of Roanoke like it was a game of Clue, which trivialized the events and made it seem childish (the cover looks like it was going for a middle-school demographic).
So if you can get past those things, I would recommend this book!

[regularguy5mb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My second cruise read is actually a book I found on board the ship. It was sitting in the library, and with my interest in the Lost Colony, I knew it was a must read.And I am absolutely glad I did. Miller does some intense research to figure out what might have happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Looking at the political situation in England, the religious climate, the situation between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, the war with Spain, what went wrong while Ralph Lane was in charge of the fort at Roanoke, how that affected relations with the Native American nations in the vicinity, the personality of John White, Walter Raleigh, and every other person at court possibly involved in the colonization project that sent 117 individuals to their doom in Roanoke.Miller explores the history as a thrilling mystery to be solved. What happened? How did it happen? Why would someone want the project to fail? Why would they deliberately allow those colonists to come to harm? Why were they stranded in Roanoke when they were supposed to continue on to Chesapeake Bay? Who had the motive and the means? Did people really wish that much damage to Raleigh’s character? Why?Like I said, some in-depth research goes into this book, and it is definitely worth a read.

[busterrll · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Like throwing a can of alphabet soup up in the air and expecting it to come down on the table in alphabetical order. Lots of information, but I thought some of the relationships were more like wild-guesses. Despite that and despite the lack of editing, I enjoyed the book immensely