Cate of the Lost Colony
**"The fate of England’s first American colony is the centerpiece of this engaging romance set during the reign of Elizabeth I. Orphaned at 14, Lady Cate Archer is appointed maid of honor to the queen, whose favorite, Sir Walter Ralegh, becomes infatuated with her. Cate returns Ralegh’s feelings, but their dalliance is betrayed, and Cate is sentenced to sail to Roanoke Island with settlers seeking to establish a colony there. Also on board is a handsome young Croatoan, Manteo, brought to England by an earlier expedition and returning home. Inadequately provisioned and poorly led, driven by internal discord and conflict with the native population, the colony quickly flounders. As Manteo struggles to help the English and protect his own people, and Cate, growing into leadership, encourages the remaining colonists to reach out to the Croatoans, a powerful attraction develops between the two. This robust, convincing portrait of the Elizabethan world with complex, rounded characters wraps an intriguingly plausible solution to the “lost colony” mystery inside a compelling love story of subtle thematic depth."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Cate is an Editor's Choice!
"Expertly negotiating the challenges of 16th-century research, Klein works firmly within the historical record while crafting an engaging narrative of how the first English settlers in the Americas met their fate. Catherine's transformation is honest and believable, and the shifts in setting--from the Tower of London to the thick forests of Virginia--are seamless. This is Klein's best novel yet--and hopefully a harbinger of many more to come.
--Ann Pedtke, Historical Novels Review