NEW HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL REVEALS LITTLE KNOWN DECIMATION AND SURVIVAL STORY OF VIRGINIA’S PATAWOMECK TRIBE

1666: A Novel Written by Patawomeck Tribe Member Lora Chilton Available Beginning Today, April 2, 2024

GRASS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, April 2, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The survival story of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia has been remembered through oral tradition by members of the tribe for generations, but the massacre of Patawomeck men and the enslavement of women and children by land hungry colonists in 1666 has been mostly unknown outside of the tribe until now. Author Lora Chilton, a member of the tribe through the lineage of her father, has created this powerful fictional retelling of the survival of her people.

Told in first person point of view through the perspectives of two women, this historical novel gives a harrowing account of the Patawomeck women who were sold and transported to Barbados via slave ship. The women are separated and bought by different sugar plantations, and their experiences as slaves diverge as they encounter the decadence and clashing cultures of the Anglican, Quaker, Jewish and African populations living in sugar rich “Little England” in the 1660s. The desire to return to the land they call home fuels the women as they bravely plot their individual escapes from Barbados. It is because of these women that the tribe is in existence to this day.

1666: A Novel is based on oral tradition and uses indigenous names for the characters and some of the Patawomeck language to honor the culture and heritage that was erased when European colonization of the Americans began in the 16th century. The book explores the Patawomeck customs around food, family, and rites of passage that defined daily life before the tribe was condemned to “utter destruction” by vote of the Virginia General Assembly. The book includes a glossary for readers unfamiliar with the language and names.

To honor the women who suffered this ordeal and to pay tribute to the tribe’s ultimate survival in part because of these three courageous women, Chilton is undertaking a book tour, “The Historic 1666 Route of the Patawomeck Women,” April 20 through April 27 that will follow this imagined route from Fredericksburg through Richmond and Williamsburg to Hampton in Virginia. The 1666 book tour will launch on April 20 at the Patawomeck Museum and Cultural Center with the “1666 Commemorative Day” event. Ceremonies and festivities will include demonstrations of the Patawomeck traditions and culture along with a book talk and signing. From there, Chilton will make stops at Book People in Henrico on April 23, Busboys and Poets on April 24, Barnes & Noble in Williamsburg on April 26, and then end with a presentation at the Hampton Historical Society in Hampton on April 27. Chilton will be live streaming and posting on social media along the way.

This tour will be followed by a mini tour in Northern Virginia May 8-11 including stops in MacLean (Fonts Books and Gifts on May 9) and Winchester (Winchester Book Gallery on May 10).

About Lora Chilton: A member of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, Lora Chilton interviewed tribal elders, researched colonial documents, and studied the Patawomeck language to create this story. Chilton graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. She has worked as a Registered Nurse, a small business owner, an elected official, a non-profit executive and a writer. Memphis is her home. 1666: A Novel is her second work of historical fiction.

Sibylline Press publishes the work of brilliant women over 50, exclusively and is distributed to the trade by Publishers Group West/Ingram. Learn more at sibyllinepress.com.

1666: A Novel by Lora Chilton | 4-2-2024 | Trade paper | ISBN: 9781960573957| Historical Fiction

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