The Brief and True Report of Temperance Flowerdew

Temperance Flowerdew put pen to paper to set the record straight and tell of the sacrifice of her maid, Lily, and the devastating winter of 1610 in Jamestown. Temperance was one of the few who survived that harsh winter dubbed “the Starving Time” and was the wife to two of the first Governor’s or Virginia.

This book takes a historical figure, the events of Jamestown and weaves together a story of survival, courage, strength, and friendship. It is the story about the strength and courage of the females who survived. This book gives them voice during a time which woman did not get the chance to tell their stories.

The book was slow to start but picked up. Heinze set the bleak stage for the winter and displayed her research and writing skills in this less than 200-page book. This book deals with heavy subjects – starvation, disease, infection, the harshness of winter, Indian raids, etc. This is not a happy tale but a history of life during difficult times. This is a book I can put under the liked but did not love category. Even with the subject matter, it did not entirely “wow” me the way I was hoping it would. Still enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book from Blackstone Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.