THE LOST COLONY OF ROANOKE ISLAND

On the Outer Banks of North Carolina

AND THE LEGEND OF THE SNOW WHITE DOE

Written for the 4.5 million people who have attended the magnificent, production that won the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre, “The Lost Colony” on the Outer banks of North Carolina, and for others, who have not attended, all of whom love a good mystery – the oldest American mystery – now 436 years old: WHAT HAPPENED TO 117 ENGLISH COLONISTS who disappeared in 1587 without a trace?

THIS NOVEL “FINDS” THE COLONISTS…

The historical significance of the little known events recounted in the play that inspired this novel is immeasurable. Look around you and consider all that has happened in this country since 1587 when the colonists were “lost” in the wilds of a young America.

SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL

After his father’s death, University of North Carolina archeologist Jamie Ellison comes across a family tree that his dad had compiled.  For the first time he sees that he is the grandson 8 times removed of one Tobias Ellison, the ship’s carpenter on the flagship of a small fleet sent by Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587 to establish the first English colony in America.  Jamie also finds at the bottom of an old sea chest Tobias’ journal.  After a first cursory reading, he realizes that he has in his hands the solution to the oldest American mystery: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 117 COLONISTS WHO DISAPPEARED FROM ROANOKE ISLAND IN 1587 WITHOUT A TRACE?

This is a historic novella inspired by a play written by UNC professor Paul Green in 1937.  The play is performed by 80 actors, with a stage crew of 40, under the stars in the beautiful Waterside Theater located on the site of the original Roanoke Colony.  It has been in continuous production for 87 years; the longest running symphonic drama in our country.  (Go to The Lost Colony’s official website at www.thelostcolony.org to purchase tickets and for more information.) 

More than 4.5 million people, including hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, have seen the production that received the prestigious Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre award in 2013. During readings the author jokes: “Can you think of a Broadway producer who wouldn’t give up a firstborn for a play that’s had an 87 year run on the largest stage outside of New York City playing to audiences of now 4.5 million.  EVERYONE LEAVES THE THEATER (if you have visited the Outer Banks, you may be one of them), and millions have gone to their graves, WONDERING ‘WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COLONISTS’?

  • Tobias
  • Virginia Dare
  • Croatoan

For those who visit the Outer Banks, the book can be purchased from these fine retailers, and other retail outlets.  For those who will not be visiting the Outer Banks, it may be purchased directly from the author by email at donaldbernardo484@gmail.com or text message to 607 343 0882. (Cost $14.95 plus postage)

Click on the large links below for the following Outer Banks retail outlets:

The Lost Colony

https://www.thelostcolony.org/

The book is also available at Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales, the go-to place for house or condo purchases and rentals from Nags Head, thru Southern Shores and Duck to Corolla. Click on the link below to book your next vacation rental.

About the Author

Don Bernardo is a native of upstate New York.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University with a major in American literature (concentration American Colonial literature) and a minor in art history (concentration American Colonial art). He attended law school at Buffalo University.  Before retiring to Roanoke Island where the events in this book took place and where he lived for 6 years, Don managed trust departments in banks and credit unions on the East Coast, specializing in estate planning for high net worth individuals. Don has a number of technical articles on advanced estate planning to his credit and has lectured on the subject all over the United States. He lived on Roanoke Island for five years, the site where the events in this book took place.