Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in the Virginia colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family’s shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.

Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife.

Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they’ve been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?  [back cover copy]

TIDEWATER BRIDE by Laura Frantz is a pearl of a story, touching on themes of love, sacrifice, cross-cultural understanding and respect, and reconciliation.

This tale brims with intrigue, plot twists, surprises, and is not so much read as lived. 

The sense of place so strong, you’ll step into the Virginia Colony and walk streets filled with the noise of anvils and gossip, or saunter crushed-shell paths in your garden, meander aisles in a shop. You’ll be gently rocking along on horseback or gliding down the river in a canoe. You will join Selah Hopewell and a throng of others on the wharf, awaiting the arrival of the tobacco brides amid the stench of fish and tar and tobacco.

And so begins your immersion in the Virginia Colony. Here we also meet the people of Jamestown and appreciate neighbors with a generous heart and noble spirit. Learn that a little kindness goes a long way.

Chief Powhatan Statue, Williamsburg

And we experience the intersection of cultures as colonists, Indians, Africans, and English tentatively meet and slowly grow to understand each other and develop ways of interacting ~ for some the slow growth of insight and respect, for others not. From the amalgam of these people in this place, the story effortlessly rises like smoke from a fire.

Frantz’s consummate skill draws a clear picture of the different perspectives of these peoples. In fact, in 3 short paragraphs she shares 3 stories—on one page—that convey the absolute and deep differences between the Powhatan tribe’s world and the colonists’ culture. I can’t wait for you to read this!

Her powerful insight and creativity are displayed as she shows a fear-filled woman “pale as frost,” a storm approaching with clouds like “pewter cannonballs,” and a man impacted by the rigid class system that plants him in “the lonesome middle.”  As the Jamestown residents grow and harvest, buy and sell, marry, have children, and bury loved ones, we experience grief slicing a heart; the clawing terror of hoof beats pounding in the night; the lonely, hollow cavern of loss.

And as always, Frantz has a perfect way of drawing children with their unique viewpoints, sparkling with spontaneity, delight, and generosity, and sharing the joy and distraction of a new puppy.

I ran into a few new words, as you would if immersed in an unfamiliar place or experience. Some new things were introduced and I realized the Colonial Era has some major differences compared to the Early American–tobacco brides, peace children, that church attendance was required, and children were active in civic and commercial activities. The deep involvement of colony officials in the settlers’ lives was also new to me. And all of this contributes to that sense of walking along with the characters, not merely reading about them.

TIDEWATER BRIDE is masterful storytelling. A captivating page-turner. I loved it and highly recommend it.

If Laura Frantz is a new author to you, you can learn more on her website or visiting on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook.

[Thanks to Revell Publishing for a review copy of this book in return for a review with my honest opinion.]

Photo credits: 

     ship:  “Victory” from deviantart.com

     Chief Powhatan Statue:  http://livinginwilliamsburgvirginia.blogspot.com/

     joyful child: from Laura’s Pinterest Board. Visit it here