THIS DEAR BOUGHT LAND

A fictionalized account of the Jamestown venture (and a third book from the author of the Newbery prize winning Carry On, Mr. Bowditch) becomes the story of young David Warren, a weak, undersized boy who is taken aboard the Susan Constant as a common sailor when his father, a prominent investor in the London Company, is killed. It is David's determination that leads him to the fo'c'stle rather than the officers' quarters where his father's friend, Wingfield, would have had him. Learning seamanship the hard way, David also comes in contact with Smith, is both repelled and fascinated by the man's daring and becomes an eager witness to the events of the next months. Smith's commitment for attempted mutiny, the upsets caused by his inclusion in the council, the disastrous Indian attacks and the more beneficial negotiations with them- all are familiar. But seen through David's eyes and following his own passage from boyhood to manhood, they take on a creditable vitality and the climax- the last minute arrival of Lord De la Warr and the supply ships when all had been thought lost- is realistic. A polished narrative that shows careful research and a good sense of the issues involved.