We’ve picked three books that are sure to spark an interest for every type of reader.
A BRAVE AND CUNNING PRINCE by James Horn (Basic Books)
As a youth, Chief Opechancanough of the Powhatan tribe was taken to Spain—where he was a favorite of King Phillip II—and then to Mexico by Spaniards exploring the Chesapeake. After returning to Virginia with Jesuit missionaries, he became one of the most powerful American Indian chiefs on the Eastern Shore. This is his story.
THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE by Suzanne Stryk (Trinity University Press)
Artist Suzanne Stryk brings Virginia’s narrative to life on the page. Through essays, sketches, and collages (using plants, maps, and more), she captures the swamps in river country, the mountain trails of Appalachia, and the dusty streets of coal country.
BOOTH by Karen Joy Fowler (G.P. Putman’s Sons)
We know John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln, but what do we know about his family? Author Karen Joy Fowler’s gripping historical novel takes us behind the scenes of the Booths, leaders in 19th-century American theater. She reveals their scandals and disasters, along with the ties that bind and, simultaneously, tear families apart.
