The author on the real-life history driving her latest historical romance set in Colonial Virginia.
Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz takes you to the salty shores of seventeenth-century Virginia in Tidewater Bride (Revell), an exploration of pride, honor, and the restorative power of true love.
Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in the Virginia colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family’s shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.
Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife, daughter of the Powhatan chief.
Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they’ve been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?
In this interview, the author reveals the deal with “tobacco brides,” her inspiration for the novel, and what keeps her coming back to Colonial Virginia.
Tell us a little about Tidewater Bride.
This novel is the equivalent of the colonial American Dating Game and is based on actual Virginia history. “Fair maids” from the Old World arrived in the New World and made matches with Virginia’s most eligible bachelors, which enabled the colony to not only survive but thrive.
I love when novels are based on actual history and real people. Tidewater Bride is one of them.
What draws you to write about Colonial Virginia?
I seem to be stuck there, so it must be love 🙂 Truly, Virginia was a colony that had a huge impact on the shaping and future of America as we know it today, beginning when Jamestown was first founded in 1607.
Some of my favorite historical figures like George Washington and George Rogers Clark and Pocahontas were Virginians. And Colonial Williamsburg is my favorite historic site in the U.S. Plenty of novel fodder in that one colony alone.
What was the inspiration for your novel?
My love for Virginia history goes deep, given my own family settled there over three hundred years ago. I found it fascinating to leap back to the seventeenth century, which still has a great deal of romanticism and mystery attached, much of it rooted in the legend of Pocahontas, John Smith, and those early founders. Endless inspiration!
What’s a “tobacco bride”?
The Virginia Company in England, dedicated to making an American settlement succeed especially after the mystery of Roanoke Colony, brought English women to Virginia in exchange for ship’s passage, clothing, and land. Upon arrival each woman had her pick of wealthy bachelors who then reimbursed the Virginia Company for her in so many pounds of tobacco, the leading cash crop at that time. Think of it as the Colonial America dating game!
Selah Hopewell, the female protagonist, is tasked with having to find suitors for an incoming ship of tobacco brides. Expand a little on the process.
Process is truly the right word. The tobacco bride venture began in England, where the “fair maids” were found. Only women with skills thought to benefit the New World were given passage. as the standard was quite high. The bravery of these women to travel across an ocean to a place that was one step shy of extinction deserves attention and praise.
Once landed in Virginia, they picked their husband, who then reimbursed the Virginia Company for the bride’s expenses through payment of tobacco. I imagine there were a lot of interesting matchups, though sadly, much is unknown about these women and these couples after that.
Your novels have been applauded for their historical accuracy. What type of research was required to accurately portray seventeenth-century Virginia?
My love of research goes hand in hand with my love of writing. I’m sure I make mistakes, but they’re honest ones as I try my best to exhaust everything available to me research-wise.
For Tidewater Bride, I relied on those early settlers themselves—their journals, letters, newspapers, and published accounts. This gives me a firsthand feel for the time period. Those published accounts are often embellished but make for fascinating reading and help me develop an ear for the language back then. Of all the sources available to me, that of Pocahontas’ own people seemed the most believable and truthful and was what I used most in this particular novel.
The Lord gets all the credit for any historical accuracy, as I always seem to find just what I need to write the story He inspires to the best of my ability.
Did you find out anything unusual or surprising when you were doing your research of the time period?
Much of what we’ve been taught about Jamestown and Pocahontas and her people is untrue or has been sugar-coated or revised. The fact is, it was a brutal time period where most did not survive, not even the tobacco brides. Settlement took time and a great many failures and mistakes had to be overcome.
Tell us a little about Selah Hopewell, your main character, and what inspired you to tell her story.
Few women were in Jamestown at first and only the hardiest survived. Selah is the embodiment of those women who had to be equally strong in spirit. Having been raised with few women and working alongside her cape merchant father, she is somewhat cynical about the colony’s men and knows their many faults. Selah has hardened herself against the prospect of matrimony personally though she is given charge of bringing the tobacco brides successfully to the colony and seeing them marry well.
Do you have a favorite character in Tidewater Bride? (And what makes them special to you?)
I love Watseka, the little Powhatan girl that comes to live amongst the English in a peace exchange, something that actually happened during that time period. Her innocence, adaptability, and delight in the natural world is charming and enviable.
What lessons are embedded in the pages of Tidewater Bride?
That God was at work in our history, both personally as well as communally, just as He is in our present day. Truly history is His story. We can take hope and comfort in that during the uncertainty and challenges we are experiencing in this current pandemic.
Visit Laura Frantz’ author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/laura-frantz
Tidewater Bride
Laura Frantz
Revell
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Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in the Virginia colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family’s shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.
Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife, daughter of the Powhatan chief.
Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they’ve been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?