Nana’s Books: The Mooring Tree

Jason never once feels sorry for himself, although there are many reasons why he could.  Instead, he finds opportunities to make himself useful (and occasionally has to fight to protect his baby pigs from being eaten).  Many people on the boat don’t survive the trip.  There is a terrible storm, a shipwreck, not enough food – and then, when they finally make it to Jamestown, they find the village all but deserted!  It’s been an ants-and-grasshopper situation there, if you recall the fable:  many of the first batch of Jamestown colonists were grasshoppers.  They wanted to look for gold, rather than plant, grow, hunt, and stockpile food, build secure homes and ensure their survival.  John Smith was an ant:  he learned how to plant corn from the Indians, and did much to help the colony survive, until he was killed by an enemy attack.  After his death, the colony has struggled along but it’s dwindling.  The few remaining settlers are ready to give up, and many of them leave.  Jason stays, and thrives with the help of a friend, a Christian Indian named Chanco, who is known as “God’s Indian.”   New leadership soon comes to Jamestown, and with hard work, know-how, common sense, and new friends, Jason becomes becomes a prominent landholder.  The colony experiences growing pains, and its success leads to unprecedented changes – locally elected representatives, who get to make their own laws! 

This is the story of the early days of America, of the kind of people it took to start from hardly anything.  Hardworking people, resourceful people, many of them basically decent people who just wanted a chance at a better life.  We could use more people like Jason today!

I got my copy of this book from The Good and the Beautiful website.  Here’s the Amazon link, but it’s only for used books and may be sold out.  I checked eBay, and there was one ridiculously overpriced copy available.  But don’t despair:  the book that is not there today may turn up tomorrow!  I have experienced this numerous times.  It just takes persistence.  Also ask about interlibrary loan.  This book was not available at my local library in Charlottesville, but it was available through interlibrary loan from the University of Virginia’s library, so you may be able ti find it in your area.

©Janet Farrar Worthington

Note:  I am an Amazon affiliate, so if you do click a link and buy a book, I will theoretically make a small amount of money, but I’m just starting this thing, so I don’t even know how that works.   Still, full disclosure, etc.