Joara: Tale of the New World, 1566 – 1568

Joara transports its reader back to the exploration and colonization of what is now known as North Carolina. Led by Juan Pardo and his men during the late 1560s, the Spaniards of Juan Pardo's expedition discover new land and wealth, mingle with the local tribes, and find themselves engaged in a battle of culture and expectation. Blending history with fiction, the novel follows four men, Ruy, Daniel, Davide, and Juancinto, as they strike out to create new lives for themselves, fleeing their homes and persecution, and finding adventure, romance, and war abroad. Through learning not only new cultures but the many varied languages of the costal tribes, the outsiders are treated to stories of how the land around them came to be, and through the blending of their beliefs with those of the Native Americans they meet, are transformed into new men.