Virginia Gold by William Thomas

Seventeen-year-old John Thomas dreams of becoming a gentleman with land and status. He has no hope of ever achieving this in his homeland of Wales. In 1609, with only his dream, his faith, and his courage, he indentures himself to a sponsor and sails to London’s colonial outpost, Jamestown, leaving behind his family and his sweetheart, Dorothy. Aboard the Sea Venture he befriends a lonely girl named Rachel. In route, the supply fleet encounters a giant hurricane and John’s vessel is shipwrecked on the uninhabited island of Bermuda. (Historians believe the account of this hurricane, and shipwreck provided William Shakespeare the basis for his last written play, The Tempest.)



Ten months later, John and the other passengers reach Jamestown. Here, dangers, and challenges are waiting, including a blossoming relationship with Rachel, warfare against hostile Indians, and an Indian massacre, postponing John’s dream of wealth and status. But the Virginia gold that John finds leads him to a wealth that far surpasses his original dream. For a romantic tale in America’s first colony, adventure, and the value of a dream, Virginia Gold is a must read.

My review:
This book is historical fiction written about an ancestor of the author, John Thomas, who was a real person that started a tobacco farm in the Jamestown colony. I am 100% opposed to the use of tobacco, but I still enjoyed the story, and realize it played a big part in the early days of our country. As always the case with historical fiction, the author had to fill in some blanks and build a story around real fictional events, and I feel he did a great job of doing that, yet preserving and presenting the historical parts.

I was quickly pulled into the story and life of John Thomas: his faith, trials, tragedies, and love. I have not read many fiction books set in this time period, but it was a captivating and interesting read. I recommend it. When I read a book like this that tells of what our ancestors went through when they came to America, it makes me more thankful for the country and freedoms we have. This book helped do that.

About the author:
Dr. William Thomas brings over fifty years of education, experience, and research into his writing. His hope is that his first book will impact people’s lives. As a veteran of two wars: Korea and Vietnam, plus forty years as a pastor and army chaplain, he has lived through events that were shaped by historical decisions.


Thomas is a retired pastor who still preaches occasionally for his congregation. He holds a Ph D in the area of pastoral authority, and a California state license in marriage, family, and child counseling. Before pursuing publication, his writings included sermons, newsletters, and a doctoral thesis on pastoral authority. His poetry has been published by Mira Costa College publications in California, and in a Famous Poets Publication. He self-published a chap book of poems and essays titled, Sonnets of the Soul, in 2005. He resides with his wife, Donna and their golden lab, Sooner, in McKinney, Texas. They have seven children and seventeen grandchildren.

Virginia Gold is available from Winepress Publishing.

Thanks to Winepress for the review copy.