I love historical fiction because sometimes it can help to fill in the holes that history books seem to leave out. For instance, just how tight did the ladies wear their corsets during colonial times? What did it feel like to be pampered as an English aristocrat? Or how scary was it to give birth in the “wild west” ofPennsylvaniawith only your oldest daughter to assist you? History books and documentary-style videos and books tend to leave out these details. But write a piece of historical fiction, and soon the blanks are filled because otherwise the characters would be incomplete shells.

Recently someone I follow on Twitter recommend that I read Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein. I loved it! And the fact that the storyline was based around the Lost Colony of Roanoke is so fantastic because no one really knows exactly what happened to them.

The story starts out as Catherine becomes an orphan because her father has died in battle in service to the queen. Queen Elizabeth takes Catherine in and soon Lady Catherine is one of the queen’s favorite chamber maids. Unfortunately, Catherine found herself falling in love with the queen’s new pet Sir Walter Ralegh and once their romance is discovered she is thrown into the tower until Queen Elizabeth can figure out what to do with her.

As Sir Walter Ralegh is campaigning to start a colonist in the North American land called “Virginia” after the queen, he petitions the queen to allow Lady Catherine to become a settler. The wish is granted and Lady Catherine is banished fromEnglandto theNew World.

Now Catherine has another sort of mess to deal with in her life. From pirates to Indians, starvation to sickness, settling in the “land of plenty” will not be an easy task.

Lisa takes this story one step further by guess what most likely happened to the colonists ofRoanoke Island… and you won’t believe it until you read it!

What historical time period is your favorite to read about?