Review of Jane Coleman

[Nonso Samuelson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Jane Coleman" by Donald Harris.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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After Jane Coleman became an orphan, she was threatened with being sent to an orphanage home. Jane didn't want this, so she decided to make a drastic decision that changed her life. A spirited young lady, she disguised herself as a boy and stowed away on a ship with the help of a friend. She was only discovered after the vessel was already two days out to sea. The ship had sailed from England with a group of colonists bound for Roanoke Island, North Carolina. It also had onboard her only surviving relative, Uncle Thomas.

After they arrived on the island, they started to observe their new surroundings: the wild and the Algonquin Indian tribes that inhabited it. These tribes included the Croatan, Tuscarora, Tutelo, Saponi, Catawba, Cherokee, and Yuchi. Things soon got tough for the foreigners, however, as they suffered several problems, including drought, famine, war, slavery, and death. Years later, another group of English men arrived on the island. They had no prior knowledge of their predecessors to the island. However, among the native tribes, tales of a white warrior were being circulated. What happened to the members of the first expedition? What happened to Jane Coleman specifically, and what was her role and significance in this story?

Jane Coleman: The Stuff of Legends by Donald Harris was split into three parts, all ultimately telling the history of North Carolina. Set in the 1500s and 1600s, this story focused on the experiences of the natives and foreigners who lived within the territories now known as the US state of North Carolina. As I read, I felt the dual satisfaction of reading a book that was both a well-written work of fiction and a robust piece of historical documentation.

This story was about a territory and a people within a particular era, so it was amazing how Harris used mainly one person—Jane's character—as a catalyst to paint in intricate detail the experiences of these people. This doesn't mean that the other characters were lost. They didn't all have the same level of depth and development, but what they did have was sufficient for their respective roles. Harris's word choices made this story easy to read. The detail in his description of this colonial era was a testament to the level of research that must have gone into penning this book. And there was humor in the story too, which is an element I always like to see.

I also enjoyed the humility and mutual respect of the Algonquin tribes. It showed how much they valued their culture and beliefs. Harris also made sure to give insight into the nuances between the cultures of the different member tribes and the values that drove them.

I liked the elements of romance and friendship in the book, mainly because they were employed in a cross-cultural context. I enjoyed reading about people from two seemingly incompatible cultures forming a bond that should have been impossible, especially considering the apparent language barrier. In my opinion, this set the standard for what love and friendship should look like in any context.

The only letdown with this book was that I found too many grammar and typographical issues while reading; it wasn't professionally edited. There were a few misspellings of character names and locations. Two good examples were "Roanoke," misspelled as "Roanoak," and "Coleman," misspelled as "Colman." While this made it look tacky, it didn't take away from the beauty of the story itself or the author's skills of writing and research. Consequently, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to lovers of adventure stories with a historical slant.

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Jane Coleman
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[Mercy119]

I like that the author highlighted the various tribes that lived in North Carolina before the white settlers' arrival. Since I love historical fiction, this book is worth checking out.

[Novela book]

I really like the plot of this book. It looks adventurous and a thrilling and is based on historical background. A fine book for me.

[Tonikun2020]

I love history and books with with strong female characters. Its sounds interesting. Thanks for the review.

[The frant1c reader]

A historical fiction set in the colonial era with a driven, inspiring female protagonist! Too much to lose in not reading this book. Thank you for such a wonderful review!

[Kavita Shah]

Jane made a big decision. It will be interesting to read about North Carolina and the natives of the island. Thank you for an awesome review!

[Urvashi Tripathi]

The cover is so beautiful. I love strong female characters, so I'll definitely give this book a try. I think so Jane is brave and I would like to read about her more. Thank you for the amazing review.

[Mercy Osmond]

The book seems interesting, I like that the protagonist is strong and fearless. I think i will enjoy this book. Thanks for the beautiful review

[Uzo_Reviews]

The way the main character was portrayed is worth emulating. I hope I find it interesting. Great review.