Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Bloomsbury USA Childrens (2010), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 336 pages
Description
When her dalliance with Sir Walter Ralegh is discovered by Queen Elizabeth in 1587, lady-in-waiting Catherine Archer is banished to the struggling colony of Roanoke, where she and the other English settlers must rely on a Croatoan Indian for their survival. Includes author's note on the mystery surrounding the Lost Colony.
User reviews
LibraryThing member dasuzuki
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
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
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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
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LibraryThing member rebecca191
Loved this book! I think it may be my favorite historical fiction read so far this year. Full review closer to release date but definitley add this one to your wish list if you enjoy historical fiction.
LibraryThing member C.Ibarra
Catherine Archer is an orphan who is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as one of Queen Elizabeth’s ladies. Initially in the Queen’s good graces, Lady Catherine finds herself shunned because she acts upon a forbidden attraction. Cate is fascinated by the “new world” and longs for a
Author, Lisa Klein, takes an American mystery and adds her own spin. Historical facts embellished with fiction leads to one amazing novel. History buffs will eat this one up. The author creates a plausible answer to what happened to the colonists that disappeared from Roanoke Island. Catherine’s relationships with Sir Walter Ralegh and Croatoan Indian, Manteo, adds a nice romantice element to the book. The author managed to create quite a story, with a fascinating cast of characters. I look forward to reading more of Lisa Klein’s novels in the near future.
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life of travel and adventure. Exile to Virginia doesn’t seem like much of a punishment. Faced with difficult challenges in her new home on Roanoke Island, Cate must either give up or persevere.Author, Lisa Klein, takes an American mystery and adds her own spin. Historical facts embellished with fiction leads to one amazing novel. History buffs will eat this one up. The author creates a plausible answer to what happened to the colonists that disappeared from Roanoke Island. Catherine’s relationships with Sir Walter Ralegh and Croatoan Indian, Manteo, adds a nice romantice element to the book. The author managed to create quite a story, with a fascinating cast of characters. I look forward to reading more of Lisa Klein’s novels in the near future.
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LibraryThing member grnpickle
I enjoyed Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein. I have always been intrigued by the Roanoke Island Colony and its possible demise. Ms. Klein spins a plausible tale which gives us one possible answer as to where the colony went. Definitely worth a read for anyone interested in Early American
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History. Show Less
LibraryThing member beckymmoe
Having visited Roanoke Island on a family trip many years ago, I've always been fascinated by the story of the "lost" colony. I was very excited to see that Lisa Klein, a historical fiction author I've read and enjoyed in the past, had decided to put her own spin on the tale.
Klein tells her story
Klein did a lot of research for this work, and it shows. I read Lee Miller's nonficton Roanoke: Mystery of the Lost Colony while reading Cate of the Lost Colony, just to compare it to the "real" story. Klein's attention to detail is amazing, and the conjectures she make seem realistic and plausible. If her story doesn't actually solve the mystery, I can safely say I wish it did! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has wondered just what did happen to America's lost colony.
Klein tells her story
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from three very differnt points of view. Acting as the main narrator, Lady Catherine Archer is a young handmaiden to Queen Elizabeth. She angers Elizabeth by flirting with Sir Walter Raleigh, one of the queen's favorite courtiers, and is first sent to the Tower and then later to England's new American colony, Roanoke. Another part of the story is told through Sir Walter's personal papers--letters, journal antries, and poems, giving readers a glimpse into the man who was the driving force behind Elizabeth's colonial experiment. Still another perspective is given by Manteo, a young Croatoan man who befriends the English, travels to the British Isles, and acts as an embassary between the English and their neighbors back in America. The three narratives blend skillfully to give readers a more complete picture of England's first attempt at colony building. Klein did a lot of research for this work, and it shows. I read Lee Miller's nonficton Roanoke: Mystery of the Lost Colony while reading Cate of the Lost Colony, just to compare it to the "real" story. Klein's attention to detail is amazing, and the conjectures she make seem realistic and plausible. If her story doesn't actually solve the mystery, I can safely say I wish it did! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has wondered just what did happen to America's lost colony.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AnnaKay21
This book was absolutely wonderful and one of the best I've read so far this year! Cate is such a wonderfully relatable and fiercely abiding heroine that no matter what she did, I loved her always. I loved the romance, adventure, mystery and history attached to this book. It was very well-written
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and Lisa Klein's explanation for what happened to the lost colony of Roanoke is very plausible and interesting. I especially enjoyed Cate's acceptance of Manteo before she had even met him. To her he was just a human being like herself. This book will stay with me for a long time and bravo to Lisa Klein - you have finally ensnared me with this one! I tried a couple others and quit, but this one GOT ME!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member BookSpot
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
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.
One of the girls responsible for the
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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.
Show Less
LibraryThing member beckymmoe
Having visited Roanoke Island on a family trip many years ago, I've always been fascinated by the story of the "lost" colony. I was very excited to see that Lisa Klein, a historical fiction author I've read and enjoyed in the past, had decided to put her own spin on the tale.
Klein tells her story
Klein did a lot of research for this work, and it shows. I read Lee Miller's nonficton Roanoke: Mystery of the Lost Colony while reading Cate of the Lost Colony, just to compare it to the "real" story. Klein's attention to detail is amazing, and the conjectures she make seem realistic and plausible. If her story doesn't actually solve the mystery, I can safely say I wish it did! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has wondered just what did happen to America's lost colony.
Klein tells her story
Show More
from three very differnt points of view. Acting as the main narrator, Lady Catherine Archer is a young handmaiden to Queen Elizabeth. She angers Elizabeth by flirting with Sir Walter Raleigh, one of the queen's favorite courtiers, and is first sent to the Tower and then later to England's new American colony, Roanoke. Another part of the story is told through Sir Walter's personal papers--letters, journal antries, and poems, giving readers a glimpse into the man who was the driving force behind Elizabeth's colonial experiment. Still another perspective is given by Manteo, a young Croatoan man who befriends the English, travels to the British Isles, and acts as an embassary between the English and their neighbors back in America. The three narratives blend skillfully to give readers a more complete picture of England's first attempt at colony building. Klein did a lot of research for this work, and it shows. I read Lee Miller's nonficton Roanoke: Mystery of the Lost Colony while reading Cate of the Lost Colony, just to compare it to the "real" story. Klein's attention to detail is amazing, and the conjectures she make seem realistic and plausible. If her story doesn't actually solve the mystery, I can safely say I wish it did! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has wondered just what did happen to America's lost colony.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TheTreeReader
Cate was one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite court maidens until she fell for Sir Walter Ralegh and is sent away. She is strong and brave and forced to start a challenging and terrifying life in a new place where she doesn’t know if she, or anyone else, will survive.
Cate of the Lost Colony is an
If you like historical fiction, there is a good chance you will enjoy this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.
Cate of the Lost Colony is an
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incredible and well written story with love and adventure. I was pulled right in from the start.If you like historical fiction, there is a good chance you will enjoy this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.
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LibraryThing member lexilewords
Its not often I will read a non-romance, historical fiction novel. Even less likely if its young adult. However something about Cate of the Lost Colony made me want to read it. Badly. Told in three parts, we watch Cate go from an anxious lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth, to a young settler
The novel is told from her first person POV, Manteo's first person POV and through letters, poems and memos of Sir Walter Ralegh's. In this way we get a rather interesting vision of events that occur. In the first part we see how temperamental, jealous, vindictive, vain and uncertain a monarch Elizabeth is. As a ruler she was perfect (or at least better than most), in her persona life Cate views the strain of being the 'Virgin' Queen. She falls in and out of love easily enough (though Klein is careful to keep these 'chaste' romances with no hint of anything untoward happening), but she expects her handmaidens to be pure. They are not allowed to marry--or even love--without her consent in fact.
A matter that Cate does not heed well enough when she is found out to be harboring feelings for Ralegh. And thus we enter the second part! First sent to the Tower and than banished to Virginia, Cate is both afraid of the future and excited. She felt her fortunes could be made in the New World. And she awaited Ralegh. But the New World is not easy and what seems like so much fun on paper turns out to be deadly and dangerous. In the third part, events conspire to shape her into a determined and proud young woman. She realizes what she has wanted all this time, what she has been ignoring for want of her dreams, and embraces it whole-heartedly.
Manteo's chapters reveal a man torn between two worlds himself. Eager to prove his worth to his kinsmen he seeks to help bridge the gap between his people and the settlers. But distrust, unanimity and misunderstandings serve to only make things worse. He struggles to retain his promise to help the settlers survive, but also to show he is not a traitor to his people. He sees the worth in helping the settlers, how they can help and offer so much to his people, but what can he do when just getting two of the tribes' leaders to talk often leads to war?
Interestingly Klein develops a lot of his growth through his people's beliefs. He equates what he is doing as a journey all the 'great heroes' had to undertake to gain power. He continually makes peace and offers different courses of action. However he is a prideful young man himself, certain that the power 'Kwin-lissa-bet' has bestowed upon him is what makes him mighty. What makes him right. Too late he realizes that he made decisions that weren't the right ones at the time. That he tried too hard to straddle the line between worlds and didn't listen hard enough to his heart.
Roanoke Island is considered the first settlement, though its fate is shrouded in mystery and legend. In the end notes Klein describes some of the theories surrounding the Island and its settlers and possibilities that could have occurred. She also describes where she has taken artistic liberty, but I found I didn't care so much that she updated some of Ralegh's (overly flowery and faintly offensive) poetry. The man, if he was anything like the Ralegh in here (who I may add is nothing like the Ralegh from the movie Elizabeth: the Golden Age) was an utter prig. So self-motivated and insincere in his affections (except for fame and fortune) I found myself hoping he'd get scalped (I know he wasn't, but still).
I loved this book. Klein painted a picture that though extremely bleak at times still holds onto hope. These people really wanted to live. They fought and struggled and starved in order to carve a life into the New World. Maybe not the life they expected or thought they'd achieve, but a life they could be proud of. How many can say that nowadays?
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desperately trying to hold onto hope and ultimately a young woman who has found a place for herself.The novel is told from her first person POV, Manteo's first person POV and through letters, poems and memos of Sir Walter Ralegh's. In this way we get a rather interesting vision of events that occur. In the first part we see how temperamental, jealous, vindictive, vain and uncertain a monarch Elizabeth is. As a ruler she was perfect (or at least better than most), in her persona life Cate views the strain of being the 'Virgin' Queen. She falls in and out of love easily enough (though Klein is careful to keep these 'chaste' romances with no hint of anything untoward happening), but she expects her handmaidens to be pure. They are not allowed to marry--or even love--without her consent in fact.
A matter that Cate does not heed well enough when she is found out to be harboring feelings for Ralegh. And thus we enter the second part! First sent to the Tower and than banished to Virginia, Cate is both afraid of the future and excited. She felt her fortunes could be made in the New World. And she awaited Ralegh. But the New World is not easy and what seems like so much fun on paper turns out to be deadly and dangerous. In the third part, events conspire to shape her into a determined and proud young woman. She realizes what she has wanted all this time, what she has been ignoring for want of her dreams, and embraces it whole-heartedly.
Manteo's chapters reveal a man torn between two worlds himself. Eager to prove his worth to his kinsmen he seeks to help bridge the gap between his people and the settlers. But distrust, unanimity and misunderstandings serve to only make things worse. He struggles to retain his promise to help the settlers survive, but also to show he is not a traitor to his people. He sees the worth in helping the settlers, how they can help and offer so much to his people, but what can he do when just getting two of the tribes' leaders to talk often leads to war?
Interestingly Klein develops a lot of his growth through his people's beliefs. He equates what he is doing as a journey all the 'great heroes' had to undertake to gain power. He continually makes peace and offers different courses of action. However he is a prideful young man himself, certain that the power 'Kwin-lissa-bet' has bestowed upon him is what makes him mighty. What makes him right. Too late he realizes that he made decisions that weren't the right ones at the time. That he tried too hard to straddle the line between worlds and didn't listen hard enough to his heart.
Roanoke Island is considered the first settlement, though its fate is shrouded in mystery and legend. In the end notes Klein describes some of the theories surrounding the Island and its settlers and possibilities that could have occurred. She also describes where she has taken artistic liberty, but I found I didn't care so much that she updated some of Ralegh's (overly flowery and faintly offensive) poetry. The man, if he was anything like the Ralegh in here (who I may add is nothing like the Ralegh from the movie Elizabeth: the Golden Age) was an utter prig. So self-motivated and insincere in his affections (except for fame and fortune) I found myself hoping he'd get scalped (I know he wasn't, but still).
I loved this book. Klein painted a picture that though extremely bleak at times still holds onto hope. These people really wanted to live. They fought and struggled and starved in order to carve a life into the New World. Maybe not the life they expected or thought they'd achieve, but a life they could be proud of. How many can say that nowadays?
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Awards
Ohioana Book Award (Finalist — Juvenile Literature — 2011)
Language
Physical description
336 p.; 5.82 inches
ISBN
1599905078 / 9781599905075