by Lora Chilton
Sybilline Press
4/2/25, paperback
SKU: 9781960573957
The Survival Story of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia told through the lives of two women
The survival story of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia has been remembered within 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.
Told in first person point of view through the imagined lives of two women, Chilton tells the harrowing stories of Ah'SaWei WaTaPaAnTam (Golden Fawn) and NePa'WeXo (Shining Moon), members of the surviving Patawomeck tribe, who after the slaughter of their men were sold and transported to Barbados via slave ship. Separated and bought by different sugar plantations, they endured, each plotting their escapes before finally making their way back to Virginia to be reunited with the few members of the tribe that remained.
Reviews:
"Focusing on the experiences of three Patawomeck women in the latter half of the seventeenth century, Chilton, in 1666: A Novel, draws on contemporary scholarship regarding Patawomeck and Virginia Algonquian history, culture, and language to develop her characters and add depth to their stories. It is refreshing to read a story about Virginia Indian women in the seventeenth century that avoids the glamorized, sexualized, and racialized Pocahontas mythology and instead centers on the experiences of those everyday people who may not have been so well-known to colonizers but are the true ancestors of most Virginia Indians.... A fast-paced novel that takes the reader through numerous Atlantic landscapes from the traditional Patawomeck homelands along Potomac Creek, to Barbados, to New York, 1666 illustrates the interconnectedness of the early Modern world and its people." --Dr. Brad Hatch, Patawomeck Tribal Historian and Tribal Council Member
"Packed with Indigenous culture and customs and sprinkled with tribal terminology, the narrative is vivid, magnetic, and chilling. The author is herself a Patawomeck descendant, and she's combined scant available written records with tribal oral history to inform her creation of two emotionally powerful, vibrant female protagonists....plenty of action, tears, cheers, and historical detail work to keep the pages turning. A disturbing, absorbing, and valuable addition to the literature of cruelty inflicted upon Indigenous peoples." --Kirkus Reviews
"History is usually written by the conquerors, so it is said to be HIS-story!... 1666: A Novel, an often raw and gritty work of historical fiction, describes the resilience and tenacity that ultimately is OUR-story! Based on actual Colonial documents from the 1600s, this tragic tale often seems as shocking as a sudden plunge into cold water... but then reverberates with redemption and the LOVE of family and friends that brings warmth to the heart!" --Buddy "White Cloud" Jett, Patawomeck elder, Former Tribal Council Member and Tribal Judge Emeritus
About the Author:
A member of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, Lora Chilton tells the story of her people and their unlikely survival due to the courage of three Patawomeck women. As a part of the process, she interviewed tribal elders, researched colonial documents and studied the Patawomeck language. 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: After the Massacre is her second work of historical fiction.