1666 A Novel

1666 A Novel by Lora Chilton, published by Sibylline Press on April 2, 2024, is a historical fiction work that explores the survival story of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia through the lives of two women. This edition, comprising 224 pages, presents a fictional retelling of events largely unknown outside the tribe, focusing on the massacre of Patawomeck men and the subsequent enslavement of women and children by colonists in 1666.

Readers will find a narrative told from the first-person perspective of Ah’SaWei WaTaPaAnTam (Golden Fawn) and NePa’WeXo (Shining Moon), who endure the harrowing experiences of being sold and transported to Barbados after the slaughter of their tribe’s men. The story follows their struggles on different sugar plantations, where they each plot their escapes, ultimately leading them back to Virginia in search of their remaining family members. This novel delves into themes of cultural heritage and the resilience of Indigenous women, providing insight into a significant yet often overlooked chapter in history.