| Seventeen-year-old John Thomas dreams of becoming a gentleman with land and status. He has no hope of ever achieving this in his homeland of Wales. In 1609, with only his dream, his faith, and his courage, he indentures himself to a sponsor and sails to London’s colonial outpost, Jamestown, leaving behind his family and his sweetheart, Dorothy. Aboard the Sea Venture he befriends a lonely girl named Rachel. In route, the supply fleet encounters a giant hurricane and John’s vessel is shipwrecked on the uninhabited island of Bermuda. (Historians believe the account of this hurricane, and shipwreck provided William Shakespeare the basis for his last written play, The Tempest.)
Ten months later, John and the other passengers reach Jamestown. Here, dangers, and challenges are waiting, including a blossoming relationship with Rachel, warfare against hostile Indians, and an Indian massacre, postponing John’s dream of wealth and status. But the Virginia gold that John finds leads him to a wealth that far surpasses his original dream. For a romantic tale in America’s first colony, adventure, and the value of a dream, Virginia Gold is a must read. |
