History has its share of miracles. This is one of them. On June 2, 1609, nine ships headed out from England to bring much-needed supplies to the new Jamestown colony in America. Fair skies and steady winds accompanied them for nearly two months. In a matter of hours, all that changed. A monstrous hurricane mixed sky and sea into a mass of danger. The Sea Venture, flagship of the sleet and temporary home to more than 100 people, battled the storm for days. Broken, leaking, and leaning into the sea, the Sea Venture finally shipwrecked on the dreaded “haunted” Bermuda Islands. Every person survived—even the ship’s dog. But what would they do now?

Reviews:

School Library Journal

Grade 5-7 - This is an engaging account of the 17th-century British sailing ship Sea Venture, flagship of nine vessels bound for the colony of Jamestown. A powerful hurricane forced it to break from the fleet; battle the humongous waves, wind, and drenching rain; and eventually run aground on the shores of the Bermuda islands. All 150 passengers and crew spent the next 10 months creating a temporary home on this "untouched" land, having found an abundance of raw materials to erect homes, hunt, cook, store food, and eventually build two smaller ships to continue on to Virginia. Karwoski offers a wealth of historical information through a well-researched narrative detailing highlights of the key players: Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers, and Captain Christopher Newport. Additional significant material is provided in well-placed boxes, explaining certain concepts to give readers a better understanding of the three leaders' lives, the available technology of the day that allowed the settlers to create a sheltered and abundant life, and the geographic and natural circumstances that affected their livelihood. The book concludes with a description of present-day Bermuda and the changes in its natural environment, some good and some unfortunate, as a result of overpopulation. Blue/gray-toned illustrations include drawings and photos of recovered artifacts. An extensive bibliography concludes this attractive, well-designed title.

Booklist, November 15, 2004

Gr. 4-6. Karwoski relates a classic, little known entry in the "every cloud hath its silver lining" department: the flagship of a small fleet carrying colonists and supplies to the new Jamestown Colony in 1609, the Sea Venture is separated in a violent storm, and comes close to sinking before fetching up on Bermuda--islands then widely regarded as haunted. Everyone aboard saved (even the ship's dog), Bermuda turns out to be an island paradise, and after a restorative 10 months, the expedition continues on to Jamestown, arriving at the nick of time to save it from collapse after a devastating year of famine and disease. The author suggests (as others have) that the incident may have inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest, and then goes on to trace Bermuda's later history to the present day. Illustrated with maps, photos, and wood engraving-like, new art, all printed in blue, this tale of shipwreck, discovery, and radical reversals of fortune will leave young readers marveling — as well as receptive to the meaty closing resource list.

Children’s Literature

In this non-fiction recounting of the voyage of the Sea Venture, Karwoski’s story telling gift is evident. Bound by facts, she still allows readers to feel the blasting of hurricane force winds, stinging ocean salt sprays, and the rush of helplessness experienced by the crew and passengers on this fated 1609 voyage. Was it a miracle to be battered by winds and end up far from where voyagers expected? See for yourself when you read this informative book.

Bronze statues and photos, historic art, and drawings highlight sidebars, which are full of facts. Illustrator John McDonald contributes excellent art of a woodcutting nature. Illustrations in grays, blues, blacks, and whites are woven around text. The lack of bright colors adds to the tale of misfortune long ago and far away. An extensive bibliography, additional websites, and full index round out the book. Add it to classrooms studying history about Jamestown in the 1600s. When you do, students will have a “real” focal point to enhance history of the period.

The Columbus Dispatch

Miracle: True Story of the Wreck of the Sea Venture ( Darby Creek, $17.95, ages 9 to 12) tells of a thrilling 1609 crossing from England to the colony at Jamestown, Va. Seven ships taking supplies to struggling settlers met a hurricane. One, the Sea Venture, was run aground with all passengers and crew on what we now know as Bermuda. This well-documented account is filled with tension and suspense and should appeal to readers who love survivor stories.  

The Royal Gazette, Bermuda

The book...is professionally researched, vividly written, and very handsomely produced, with ten beautifully engraved illustrations by John McDonald. Miracle will prove to be a fine gift...but parents or grandparents may find that they will be tempted to read it through before wrapping it in gift paper.

Athens Banner-Herald , August 31, 2005

Karwoski to represent state at 2005 book festival

Local author Gail Karwoski has been named Georgia Author of the Year for her book "Miracle: The True Story of the Wreck of the Sea Venture,'' which was chosen by the Georgia Public Library Service to represent the state of Georgia at the 2005 National Book Festival in Washington D.C. on Sept. 24.

The festival is an annual event and will be hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. In addition, "Miracle" has been named as recommended reading for the upcoming 400th anniversary celebration of the settlement of Jamestown, Va., beginning May 2006 and continuing through 2007.

Karwoski's book is a narrative that begins in 1609 with a fleet of ships leaving England for the colony in Jamestown, Va. A hurricane scatters the fleet and one ship, the Sea Venture, with about 150 men, women and children, is shipwrecked on the island of Bermuda.

Karwoski, who formerly taught at Oconee County Elementary School, has written several well-received historical fiction books for young readers. Her Web site is www.gailkarwoski.com.

Bermuda Sun , August 19, 2005

‘Miracle’ writer named Georgia Author of the Year

If the Sea Venture hadn’t wrecked off Bermuda centuries ago, this article might be written in Spanish, and author Gail Langer Karwoski wouldn’t have been named Georgia Author of the Year.

Karwoski wrote the book, Miracle: The True Story of the Wreck of the Sea Venture, a nonfiction children’s book about the Sea Venture fleet and its journey from England to Jamestown via Bermuda. Published last year, the book has since been chosen by the Georgia Public Library to represent the state of Georgia at the 2005 National Book Festival in Washington D.C. this September. Miracle has also been selected as recommended reading for the 400th anniversary celebration of the settlement at Jamestown, which begins in May 2006 and continues through 2007.

Karwoski said of her book in an interview last year, “I thought children would be captivated by the story. Since whole families were aboard the Sea Venture, the story would transport the children to this long-ago event and make them feel like they were living through the disaster along with the children on board.”

Bermuda Sun , September 15, 2004

Author so ‘fascinated’ by Sea Venture story she writes children’s book about it

Already a veteran author of historical children’s novels, Gail Karwoski was working on her third one when she ‘discovered’ the story of the Sea Venture and its passengers, a tale she found “fascinating”.

Told in a way that transports children to the scene of the shipwreck, Miracle, The True Story of the Wreck of the Sea Ventureis 64 pages long and is geared towards ages 11 and up. Karwoski said, “The events [regarding the Sea Venture] fascinated me. I thought children would be captivated by the story. Since whole families were aboard the Sea Venture, the story would transport the children to this long-ago event and make them feel like they were living through disaster along with the children on board.”

To put the story of the Sea Venture in a nutshell, the ship was sailing to Jamestown, Virginia when it got caught up in a storm off Bermuda and was shipwrecked. The passengers and crew got off the ship and came ashore in Bermuda. They stayed here for a while, built houses, had babies, then built two more ships and most of them went on to Jamestown. There’s a replica of one of the ships they stayed on in St. George’s, the Deliverance.

Karwoski has a few links with our island, probably no more than your average visitor, but Bermuda has been of interest to her since her first visit two decades ago. She said, “I’ve visited Bermuda twice. My first visit was in 1980, with my husband and—at that time— young daughter. I remember that we were enchanted by the beauty of the islands as well as the cordial welcome that we received by “Onions.”

I returned last year (and brought my two daughters, now both grownup), to finish researching the book. This second trip was partially funded by a work-in-progress grant from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Again, the beauty of the country impressed me.

Since I had spent a great deal of time researching the history and the impact of humans on Bermuda, I was so interested in how the country is coping with its unique challenges.

Her other books include Seaman, the Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis and Clark; Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906; Surviving Jamestown: The Adventures of Young Sam Collier; and The Tree That Owns Itself and Other Adventures from Georgia’s Past (a collection of stories).

For further information on the availability of Miracle, visit www.gailkarwoski.com or www.darbycreekpublishing.com.  

Through The Looking Glass Children’s Book Review, An Online Children's Literature Journal,April 2006

When the Venture set sail with eight other ships bound for the new English colony of Jamestown, her passengers could not possibly have imagined what lay ahead of them. About a month and a half into the voyage a terrible hurricane hit the convoy and Venture was separated from the other ships. Badly beaten by the waves, taking on water, and getting blown to who knows where, the Venture flew across the ocean until she ended up on one of the reefs off the islands of Bermuda. By some miracle no lives were lost and the passengers were able to salvage much of the timber and supplies from the wreck of the Venture.

The passengers soon found that they had indeed ended up in a most acceptable place. There was plenty of food, fresh water, no biting insects, no disease, and no unfriendly native peoples. Most still wanted to get to Jamestown and less than a year after their abrupt arrival in the Bermudas, they arrived at the settlement. What they found was terrible. The people were starving, sick, and many had died. Indeed many of their fellow travelers who had sailed away from England in the nine ship convoy had perished in Jamestown during what came to be called “the Starving time.” What many of the Venture passengers came to understand was that being shipwrecked may in fact have saved their lives.
 

This extraordinary account not only describes what happened to the Venture and her passengers but it also gives readers all the information they need to understand the context of the story. Readers will come to understand how hard travel was at this time and how uncertain the future could be. Both vivid and exciting, the account is made very personal as well because the author includes biographies of the principal characters. In addition she has included small sections which describe shipbuilding, travel, food preservation and more.