Book:  Cate Of The Lost Colony
Author:  Lisa Klein
Published:  October 12, 2010 from Bloomsbury
My edition/number of pages:  ARC/336

Age group:  Young adult
Source:  Publisher
Series?:  No.

The greatest unsolved mystery of American history–what happened to all the colonists who landed on Roanoke Island in 1587? This novel traces the fortunes and misfortunes of one Cate Archer, banished to Virginia by a jealous Queen Elizabeth because of her dalliance with Sir Walter Ralegh. What will be her fate in this dangerous New World?

Cate Of The Lost Colony, Lisa Klein’s newest novel, does not disappoint. From the very first sentence I was drawn into Cate’s world and I was captivated. The lost colony of Roanoke is not something that I have ever read about but after reading this I want to know more.

Catherine Archer’s life is nothing special until the day she gets a letter from the Queen. The death of her father has left her orphaned and Queen Elizabeth has offered her a place as one of her maids. Things are looking up for Catherine, especially when Walter Ralegh starts showing her attention. Too bad Ralegh is the Queen’s favorite and his attention gets Catherine banished to Virginia. There she becomes Cate and nothing is ever the same. Still, can Cate leave behind her first love and her old life?

Cate Of The Lost Colony has three parts to it and each one shows a different side of Cate.  In the beginning she was pampered and rather immature but that changed quickly once she got to Virginia.  I loved Cate’s way with the natives and how she wouldn’t let the men rule her.  She was stubborn but sweet.  The changes in her weren’t spontaneous though which made them seem real.  Cate was just a very real character that I couldn’t help but love.

The book is not all told by Cate though.  Ralegh’s letters and memos were included and they show what his interactions with Cate don’t.  I liked him but he was vain and selfish.  Manteo, on the other hand, only cared about others.  The chapters from his point-of-view were very eye-opening to how the natives actually felt about the English.  I also felt like I got a deeper look into their culture and I really enjoyed that.  Seeing how the natives were before the English came and started trouble helped me better understand their hostility.

Overall, Cate Of The Lost Colony is a fantastic book that I adored.  Lisa Klein is one of my favorite historical authors and this book just proved, once again, why that is.  If you haven’t read anything by Lisa Klein yet this is a great place to start.

First line:  At a young age I learned how quickly one’s fortune can change, a truth that never betrayed me.

Writing:  5

Characters:  4

Plot:  4

Ending:  5

Originality:  5

Overall:  23=A-

Cover:  4=B-

Now for the giveaway:

-One reader will win a copy of Cate Of The Lost Colony.

Requirements:
-You must fill out the form.
-You must have a US mailing address.
-This giveaway will end on October 31.

FTC Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book, free of charge, in support of this post.