Blood on the River

Written by Elisa Carbone

Book #1 in the James Town series

A boy's journey to the New World reveals unexpected challenges and opportunities.

4.0 Goodreads · 8,185 ratings

237 pages· 48,438 words· Est. 5.5 hour read· 820L· AR 5.3 · 7 AR pts

$8.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Samuel Collier, a young commoner, embarks on a voyage to the New World as Captain John Smith's page. Expecting riches, he instead faces a stormy journey and complex encounters with native peoples. On Virginia's shores, beauty and danger intertwine, leaving Samuel to navigate a world where allies and enemies blur. As he learns the Algonquian language and witnesses Captain Smith's diplomacy, Samuel discovers the chance to redefine himself. Will he seize the opportunity to forge a new identity in this untamed land?

From the publisher

Twelve-year-old Samuel Collier is a lowly commoner on the streets of London. So when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the Susan Constant, bound for the New World, he can’t believe his good fortune. He’s heard that gold washes ashore with every tide. But beginning with the stormy journey and his first contact with the native people, he realizes that the New World is nothing like he imagined. The lush Virginia shore where they establish the colony of James Town is both beautiful and forbidding, and it’s hard to know who’s a friend or foe. As he learns the language of the Algonquian Indians and observes Captain Smith’s wise diplomacy, Samuel begins to see that he can be whomever he wants to be in this new land.

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