In Search of Becca and The Virgin of Tears

by Louis E. Tagliaferri

When Scott Morris, professor of history at the University of North Florida, met Nita Ramirez, he was attracted to her not only because she was stunningly beautiful, but also because she shared his passion for finding the ruins of the seventeenth century Timucuan village of Becca. Their search for Becca on the shore of the Tolomato River in St. Johns County, Florida, and the history that might be buried there, was stopped dead in its tracks by Aaron Paxton, a greedy and unethical real estate developer. Paxton, who faced a series of lawsuits for previous shoddy and unethical building practices, purchased the tract of land on which Becca was believed to be located and was determined to cover the historical site with residential construction. It seemed that there was no way to stop Paxton from destroying the Becca site until a copy of a mysterious letter from a Franciscan Friar who lived in the Spanish Colonial Period to his superior in Havana, Cuba was discovered. The letter disclosed that a priceless object might have been buried under the soil of Becca to preserve it from the invading forces of Carolina Governor James Moore during the Queen Anne’s War in 1702. An urgent flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, a recluse determined to seek revenge for the destruction of his beloved hunting grounds, the death of an undocumented worker in a foreboding swamp and the deepening love between Scott and Nita lead to an exciting conclusion of this fascinating story.

285 pages, Paperback

Published July 12, 2017

About the author

Louis E. Tagliaferri is a retired management consultant, publisher, and author. During his career, he wrote many business educational works including seven non-fiction books. After his retirement, Lou’s writing interests turned to fiction where he first authored a series of three novels based on the lives of his and his wife Judy’s European immigrant grandparents: Bellaria di Rivergaro, The Web Shop and The Habsburg Cowboys. He then authored a series of three historical fiction novels focusing on the Spanish Colonial and pioneer period in Florida and the southeast states: In Search of Becca and The Virgin of Tears, The Timucuan and Cracker Landing. His most recent novel, Saint Oreo, The Miracle Dog is a total departure from his earlier themes and will appeal to anyone looking for a fun and uplifting story.

Lou lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida with Judy, his wife of over 60 years. In addition to writing works of fiction and non-fiction, he has enjoyed sailing, flying general aviation aircraft and playing golf.

Reviews

[Wendy Catucci]

Interesting

Historically very interesting. Living in Jacksonville for thirteen years never knew this much information about the area. Now living in Ponte Vedra I would like to explore even more.
Easy read.

[Linda Paige]

great history of area