CHRISTANNA

A historical novel set in Colonial Virginia.

In his sequel to Dangerous Differences (2010), Laird describes the players and events leading up to the establishment of Fort Christanna in southern Virginia in the early 1700s. Zack Hunter is a slave on a colonial Virginia plantation, Kadomico is a warrior member of the Saponi Native American tribe who has been educated in Williamsburg, Sam Layton is a white member of the Shawnee Tribe, and Seth Jackson is an indentured servant looking forward to the day he becomes a free man. Together with the women who love them as well as actual historical figures, these men help tell the story of how a fort was established in the Virginia wilderness, which brought white settlers and Native Americans together in a temporary partnership. While these four men come from different backgrounds and have very different goals, Fort Christanna draws them together and proves to be a positive event in their lives, giving them freedom, a stable future and, for some of them, helping raise their standings in their own particular communities. There are obstacles—threat of attack by Native American tribes as well as the challenges of dealing with the Colonial government and ruthless slave overseers—but the men are able to overcome these threats as they build their future at Fort Christanna. The novel covers a span of roughly five years with a wide cast of characters, though the different storylines are handled well and tied together nicely. The relatively happy ending might come as a bit of a surprise, particularly since the book describes what were apparently some of the nicest slave owners ever. The writing style is clean and spare, though occasional repetitions are a distraction: The source of the name Christanna is explained twice, as is the story of Sam and Jock’s kidnapping by native tribes. Nevertheless, the story moves along swiftly, with a nice balance between personal relationships and historical events.

A well-researched, engaging novel that presents an interesting vision of early Colonial life from the view of some of Virginia’s earliest residents.