Colonizing a new land, whether on another planet or even just across an ocean, can be perilous work—obstacles are often insurmountable and constant danger close. We also dream of colonizing other planets in our fiction, but we actually just have to look to our past to witness how difficult this task truly was. Indeed, lest we get too complacent about the luxuries and comfort we all take for granted today, it is sometimes useful to remind ourselves of the sacrifices made by those in the past who struggled to establish footholds in foreign lands, and of the inhabitants of those lands who tried to defend themselves against exploitation.
One such reminder is A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke 
These were heady times, full of dreams of discovering in the New World gold and silver deposits, bountiful resources, and routes to the Pacific ocean. And these were also times of sharp conflict and danger: religous wars, fighting within and between American Indian tribes and European countries, unforgiving epidemics, starvation, pirates, and even nature itself. The plucky volunteers who made up the Roanoke Colony risked everything for a chance to start a new life in a land of mystery and promise. But with supplies running low and attacks by Indians increasing, governor John White sailed back to England for supplies and reinforcements. Due to difficulties in raising sufficient funds and the diversion caused by a war between England and Spain, White was delayed three years in returning to the colony. By the time he returned, the colony was deserted, the fate of the colonists unknown.
Horn’s narrative blends historical fact with historical fiction, since there are many details of the events surrounding the Roanoke Colony that are simply unknown. He makes his best guesses about what might have happened though based on his immersion with the historical sources, with citations where appropriate. Horn also crafts his history by focusing on specific people in the saga, mostly on the activities of John White, explorer, writer, and soldier Sir Walter Raleigh, and, briefly, the founder and leader of Jamestown, Captain John Smith. This character-based narration helps keep the reader invested in the reconstructed storyline.
While there are many interesting facts and details that Horn presents in the book, there are a few key takeaways that really make this book a worthwhile read. First, Horn does a good job painting the tempestuous socio-ethno-political soup that was late 16th century Europe and America, a time rippling with uncertainties and dangers. Second, contrary to some modern pastoral depictions of American Indians, Horn shows how early Virginia contained many Indian tribes who, like early Europe, were often in viscious conflict with each other as much as they were with European explorers. Third, by detailing the “unfortunate luck” of White in returning to the Roanoke Colony with help, the utter difficulty of the effort needed to successfully fund and outfit a ship, sail it across hostile waters to unknown lands, rampant with many opportunities for death by disease, starvation, and murder, is vividly captured here.
Surely John White, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Captain John Smith could not have envisioned the growth and progress made in America since their time, but in A Kingdom Strange we are well reminded about their tragic experiences and herculean struggles in trying to establish a foothold in America. There are still mysteries surrounding those events, but Horn paints a vivid and compelling picture of what did and what might have happened to those early colonists.
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