From What We Once Were

The year is 1587. Over one hundred people journey to America to begin a colony. Only one returns to England alive.


Governor John White has never been a leader. Not until Sir Walter Raleigh places him in charge of the fourth expedition to Roanoke Colony, Virginia. Now, while John constantly tries to earn his daughter’s love at home, he also must find a way to keep over one hundred people safe in a new world that has been ravaged by sickness and attacks for years. When the colonists begin to fear for their lives and send him away for help, circumstances drive him farther away from everything he hoped to achieve for himself and his family.  


Elyoner Dare has never trusted in anything else more steadfastly than her father. When he becomes governor of Roanoke Colony, she is more than eager to follow him to the New World, just to keep them together. However, when he leaves and never returns, she feels that she has misplaced her trust. As confusion and the perils of the untamed wilderness take their toll, she fears that she will never survive on her own, and hope seems to be little more than a memory. 


In separation, both John and Elyoner must come to terms with their greatest fears. For John, it is the fear of failure. For Elyoner, rejection. The search for answers is a long road, but, as they soon find, not all roads lead to a better future. Neither will finish their journey the same as they once were.


Madison Burtner is the author of Remember Me With Favor—a Novel of Nathan Hale. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she loves photography, history, and theatre, and is currently working on a bachelor’s degree for performance studies.