First published 2024
Eight ships arrive at New Smyrnea in 1768 carrying over 1,200 Minorcan colonists to work as indentured servants on Dr. Andrew Turnbull's plantation. Among them is Catarina Usina, who faces the harsh realities of colonial Florida during British rule. The colonists endure brutal conditions under Turnbull's control as disease and hardship claim hundreds of lives. Nearly a thousand Minorcans die and are buried somewhere on the plantation grounds between 1768 and 1777, their graves lost to time. Catarina witnesses friends and family members succumb to the unforgiving environment while the survivors fight to maintain their dignity and hope. The story explores what life might have been like for these forgotten people who formed the largest colonial settlement to reach America during this era. Through Catarina's eyes, we see a community's determination to persevere despite overwhelming odds and the mystery of what happened to those who never left the sun-soaked sands of what is now New Smyrna Beach.
Genres: historical-fiction, family-drama, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, perseverance
Setting: New Smyrnea, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Period: 1768-1777, British Rule
154 pages · Paperback · Palmetto Publishing
Content warnings: colonialism, death, slavery