Family Trails' First Guest Book-Reviewer

This is an exciting week for me as your writer of our Family Trails. I am pleased to announce that our family blog has a guest writer…. our own cousin, Alice.

Alice will tell of her connection with Connie Lapallo, the author of the two books pictured here in this post.  Take note as you read Alice's description of the books that in talking with Connie for the first time, Alice actually inspired Connie as she wrote the second book, When the Moon Has No More Silver.

In Alice's own words….

"Most of you have heard me talk about the well written and researched books, so I will try to be brief in this review. I would suggest you check out Connie's web site at Connie Lapallo.com. It tells how she became interested in telling the story of the women and children. You may be surprised by her educational background.

Bob and I first met Connie and her daughter, Sarah, in 2007 at Henricus Historical Park not far from Jamestown. I noticed her sitting at a table signing books while we stood in line waiting for a shuttle bus to take us back to our car. Getting out of line I made my way over to see what book she was signing. Interest mounted when I saw the title, Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky, that was based on the true story about the women and children at Jamestown. We started a conversation and of course, I mentioned our Pace connection. Her connection with the early settlers was Joan Peirce (correct spelling in the 1600's) who came in 1609, Connie's 13th great-grandmother. 

Since not much if anything is written in history books about the women and children of those early days, this was one reason these books were written. Their story needed to be told. It took eight years of research and hard work to complete book one and five more years to issue the second. Connie's aim was, as mentioned in the author's notes, "...that information be historical and genealogically accurate. I have not played fast and loose with the facts."

I emailed Connie, after reading the second book, to tell her how much it was enjoyed and hoped for more to come. While reading, I felt the characters were saying, "Listen to our stories. You need to know what it cost us to establish a colony in the New World." 

It was especially exciting to see the name of Isabella Pace mentioned several times. Connie wrote me back to say that as she wrote about Isabella, she remembered our conversation in line at Henricus.

We were happy to see Connie and her daughter, Sarah-who designed the cover/painting and content design- again last June at the Pace Society Reunion, and we introduced them to our family there. 

Now we look forward to the third book, The Sun is But a Morning Star (1620-1649) and the fourth book, In Search of Sir Thomas Gates: A Biography.

If interested in ordering books, go on line to her website, and she will be glad to sign them. 

Good reading!

Alice

Replica of the Godspeed in New York 2006

***Note about Henricus Historical Park: Alice and Bob were there to see the replica of the ship, HMS Godspeed, anchored in the James River. HMS Godspeed was one of the three ships (along with HMS Susan Constant-or Sarah Constant- and HMS Discoverie-orDiscovery) on the voyage to the New World for the English Virginia Company of London. The journey resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia.