Less
than a century after Columbus’s voyage, European powers were
attracted to the New World and its possibilities. Britain
and Spain were especially aggressive in planting their flags. The sea journey itself was perilous, but men
responded to the adventure and riches an American settlement
might bring. Women were more likely to stay put (an old
sailor’s superstition even alleged that a female aboard a vessel
could bring bad luck). But
there were women aboard the ships that sailed in 1587 to establish
an English colony at Roanoke Island in
a mysterious land they called “Virginia”.
The next day I had the pluck to ask Elenor, Where
is Virginia? It
turned out that they had a little draft map, one that John
White used as stiffening, rolled and tucked behind the
stretching frames. Pointing
with her finger wrapped in a bit of cloth, Elenor showed
me England, France, Spain, but Virginia touched none of
these. It lay on the far edge in a sea of blankness,
as heaven would if it was mapped.
-- from The Rising
Shore -- Roanoke
In
her new novel “The
Rising Shore – Roanoke”, author Deborah Homsher builds
on the few certain facts about the 1587 expedition and tells
the story in the alternating voices of two women: Elenor White
Dare, an artist, daughter of the expedition’s leader and the
governor of the planned colony, John White, and Margaret Lawrence,
a young, unmarried servant. Both names are taken from historical records. Little is actually known about Margaret, but
it is recorded that Elenor was pregnant during the voyage and
later gave birth to the first English child born in the New
World, Virginia Dare.
Deborah
Homsher recounts a thrilling sea adventure in “Rising Shore”,
but her attention is on the struggles of the women, who must
be protected by and from the male crew members. The
ship must face conflict with Spanish forces, overcome the apparent
errors of the Portuguese navigator and prepare for landing
in a wilderness.
This
year is the 400th anniversary of the settlement
of Jamestown, two decades after
the ill-fated voyage by John White. It
is considered the opening of English colonization in America. The people who came to Roanoke Island in 1587
were poorly provisioned, resisted the leadership of Governor
White and were in regular conflict with the native Algonkian people. White
went back to England in search of support for the Virginians
and when he returned three years later the settlers had disappeared
with barely a trace. The “lost” colony
has been the object of speculation for centuries and of archeological
research and artistic expression for decades. (Paul
Green’s outdoor drama “The
Lost Colony” has been running on North Carolina’s Outer
Banks for 70 years).
“The
Rising Shore – Roanoke” is Deborah Homsher’s first novel. Her two earlier non-fiction books also deal with the role of women
in situations and institutions that have been male dominated. Her 1993 book “From
Blood to Verdict: Three Women on Trial” is a detailed account
of the murder trials of Shirley Kinge, Christine Lane and Debra
Dennett in Ithaca during the early 1990’s. Such
violent events seldom happen in a small community and the high-profile
law enforcement and legal activity fairly overwhelmed the capacity
of Tompkins County’s institutions.
Her
2001 book “Women
and Guns: Politics and the Culture of Firearms in America” looks
into the attitudes of both gun owners and those favoring tighter
controls on gun ownership, to understand both the personal
feeling and policy positions within this controversy.
Deborah Homsher joins Bill Jaker on OFF THE PAGE to speak about her writing. To join in the conversation, call during the
live 1:00 PM broadcast to 866/907-3388 or send an e-mail to WSKG.Radio@Gmail.com.
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