Fantastic book that kept me riveted from page one. Highly recommend for anyone interested in historical fiction, women’s history, or Native American history.

Actual Rating 2.5

TW: R*pe, Sexual Abuse, Torture

It is the 1660s on the eastern coast of what will be called Virginia, and the indigenous people there already know not to trust the words of the white men who come to their lands. But despite trying to stay peaceful and aid their new white neighbors, the indigenous tribes soon find themselves under attack and forced to board ships to Barbados to slave on plantations. As their tribal members suffer, three women do their best to stay together and find their way home, against all odds.

This work is told using multiple POVs with a somewhat fluid timeline. I did like how it was set up, and how it used the fluidity of the timeline to tell the story. What I liked most about this work was just how many wonderful details were included about indigenous culture of the Patawomeck tribe from Virginia in the 1660s. There were so many rich details woven throughout the story, and it brough the setting to life in a beautiful way as well as teaching me much about the people who first lived in these lands. There were times though when the details read more like a list of facts rather than being smoothly incorporated into a narrative.

Unfortunately, the narrative voices weakened the story for me. The narrator’s voices were indistinguishable from each other. This made it where I had to rely on context clues to remember who was who, which was especially difficult at the beginning of the book. It also made the read feel emotionally detached, despite the events being so emotional and powerful. This was disappointing and a little frustrating.

Despite my issues with the characters, I don’t want to rate this book lower as it tells an important story that should be remembered by all Americans, and the details of indigenous culture were informative. My thanks to NetGalley and Sibylline Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The author presents a wealth of insights about the profound effects European arrival had on native women, and it's clear they did their research. While the prose was a little repetitive at times, the book is overall a great, if heart-rending, account of the intricate dynamics between Virginia's indigenous peoples and the incoming colonists.

I was captivated by this tragic story, which alludes to the true happenings and tough parts of history for the Patawomeck tribe from now named Virginia, USA. The story is based on oral tradition, interviews with tribal elders, written colonial records, and extensive research by the author, and as a person who loves to learn about history, I was blown away by it.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about history.
Trigger warning: sexual and physical abuse, torture, deaths of loved ones and children, slavery.

Going into this book, I didn't know much about this story. So, because of that, I was looking forward to learning about this part of history. I am grateful that books like this exist, and that there are indigenous authors who write them, However, I had a difficult time getting into this book. I felt like perhaps another round of editing would have been beneficial.

This story is intense so a word of caution to others, please check the content warnings! Thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I finished 1666 knowing this story will stay with me for a long time. Going into book I admittedly did not know much of the Patawomeck tribe, and I am grateful to have picked this up. This story brought out many emotions in me, as an indigenous reader, and it was told so honestly, which I really appreciated despite the dark history and experiences the Patawomeck were made to suffer. 1666 by Lora Chilton captivated my curiosity for the Patawomeck and I will hold the story of these Patawomeck women closely and share with others what I have learned, I feel a closeness and responsibility to share this title and their story. Thank you, author Lora Chilton and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

This novel was a captivating journey into forgotten history, and a stunning debut. Well researched and beautifully written.
Many thanks to Sybylline Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow what an intense but beautiful read. So much research went into this book and it shows. There are a lot of brutal scenes within this book, but it shows what happened to the women of the Patawomeck Tribe and how they survived.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Wow. The amount of time and research that must have gone into this fictional depiction of history is beyond me. Author Lora Chilton used oral history passed down from generations on the Patawomeck women to write this book. The story is essential as it is something that has largely been erased from U.S. history, however it is hard to digest. The brutality these women endured is horrific. I struggled with the writing style, it felt like it was lacking personality at times.

A beautifully written and powerful story. This was so well-researched and the characters were very fleshed out. It was easy to place myself in the setting and time period while I was reading.

1666 is the story of the Patawomeck tribe. We follow the women who survived the massacre of their men and were sent to Barbados where they were sold into slavery.
This book is brutal - Lora Chilton does not shy away from describing the horrors these women survived. It is a story of tragedy and loss but also a story of fortitude and survival.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sybilline Press for the advanced copy.

*Thanks you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

3.5 stars

Trigger warning: sexual and physical abuse, torture, deaths of love ones and children, slavery.

For me, this is one of those books that are essential to read, you need to read this story.
I admit that the writing is not the best, it is quite repetitive and sometimes a bit disjointed but it does not take away one bit of the importance of this story, it is a heavy book to read, even more so when we know that this story is an allusion to reality and that there were many women who have been through similar if not the same things.
I think the writing shouldn't make you not read this story because it's a quick story and it's very important to read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lora Chilton for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for 1666 coming out April 2, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really love learning about different tribes in the Americas. I was definitely blown away by this story! This is a story I’ve learned a little about, but I think it definitely needs to be shared and retold with more people. It covers a dark time in history. The writing and plot was just so deep and beautiful. I think a lot of research went into this book. I was so fascinated by the story. It was utterly depressing, but there were some good things that came out of it as well. I know it’s fiction, but it felt like a true story. I loved it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in Indigenous history!

I’d like to thank Sybilline Press for giving me an eARC of 1666 by Lora Chilton in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells a hard story but it is a necessary story to tell. For all the epics of conquering white men “surviving” the “troubles” life slung their way in literary canon, it was refreshing to read an epic tale of Indigenous women who actually had harrowing troubles to survive.

I want to commend Lora Chilton for sharing the history and traditions of the Patawomeck people, as well as for honestly portraying the brutality of the initial colonization of North America unflinchingly. I will say that, as a reader, I do feel like the moments of quiet and contemplation for the protagonists were rushed through to get to the next sad event. For a short book, I had to take a lot of breaks.

For that reason, my true rating is 3.5 stars but I am rounding up to 4 because 1666 captures a seldom portrayed part of America’s history and made me want to learn more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very good book! Very informative and exciting! I loved it! It was great to learn about that time period in our nation's history.

1666 is a beautifully written story of three Patawomeck women in the summer of 1666. This is an imagined story based on oral traditions passed down.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

1666 is a historical novel based on the real story of the Patawomeck tribe that once existed in Virginia but went extinct after they were decimated during the European colonization of the Americas.

The author Lora Chilton is a descendant of one of the very few Patawomeck tribe members who survived, and this novel is an imaginative recount of how her women ancestors would have managed to survive, escape, and make it back to Virginia. The novel explores the themes of cultural identity, oppression, survival, family love, sacrifice, and the resilience of human spirit.

Trigger warning: the book deals with sensitive issues such as sl*v*ry, s*x**l as***lt, r*pe, t*rt**e, m*rd*r, etc.

The story is told in the dual first-person perspectives of Ah’SaWei and NePa’WeXo, two Patawomeck women narrating their individual but intertwined stories of the ordeals and hardships that they experienced in 1666 and the following years. Later in the story, a third narrator is introduced, adding a rich layer to the narrative.

The prose is evocative, elegant, and captivating. This is Lora Chilton’s debut novel, and I am in awe of her smooth and alluring writing style and storytelling approach. The subject is very much part of her personal history and cultural heritage, and I felt that she genuinely and sincerely cares and wants the story of the Patawomeck tribe to be out for the world to see.

Even though this book is fiction, it is based on real events and includes researched information about that period in history and the indigenous people’s way of life, beliefs, and practices. It expanded my knowledge and got me even more interested in indigenous history, be it fiction or nonfiction.

I initially gave this book 4 stars. But 3 weeks after reading it, I still find myself thinking about it. It only means that this book left a mark in my heart and so I’m giving it 5 stars. I'm already excited for Chilton's future book releases.

"1666" tells an interesting and important story. I really enjoyed the overall story, but the writing style just didn't work for me.

ARC/ Book review: 1666 by Lora Chilton

The premise of this book - a fictional retelling of the survival of the Patawomeck tribe of Virginia - is excellent, the story extremely harrowing and hard to stomach but important to tell. It is the story of three women from the Patawomeck tribe who witness the brutal murder of their husbands and families in 1666 and are then kidnapped and sold as slaves on the island of Barbados. They suffer losses and unimaginable pain but in the end show resilience and courage when they escape and return to Virginia, thus guaranteeing the continued existence of their tribe.

Author Lora Chilton herself is a member of the tribe and has done an immense amount of research to finally write down what has mainly been transported orally from generation to generation. This is such a crucial addition and document to the history of the Indigenous tribes that were brutally dispersed, abused and erased when the Europeans began to colonize the Americans in the 16th century. Especially since the author also talks about the rituals and traditions of her tribe, about daily life and their sense of community before the tribe was attacked and destroyed.

But unfortunately, it always feels just like that: a mere listing of historical facts. This doesn’t read like historical fiction but like a school textbook for middle graders. Which is such a shame because it could have been an outstanding piece of fiction (the story itself is such an amazing example of bravery and resistance). While I applaud the author for tackling such a difficult matter- and one that is so dear to her own heart - I wish she’d either have opted to write this as non-fiction, or to have adopted a different style for this historical fiction. The way it turned out is a little bit messy. But I’m still glad I read it.

Thank you to Lora Chilton, NetGalley and Sybilline Press for the ARC.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is brutally honest about the treatment of Native American tribes by colonists. 1666 is harsh, showing the genocide and slavery that Patawomek were forced to live through. I loved this harsh and brutal honesty. It allowed the resilience of the characters to be seen through the darkness. It also forces the reader to reflect on a time in history we Americans often forget really was this terrible.

This is a definite must read!