White Isle

by Caroline Dale Snedeker

This new edition of Caroline Dale Snedeker's "The White Isle" includes all original text, with a new cover illustration. The White Isle is Britain - a barbaric land to the patrician Claudian family exiled from Hadrian's Rome, but an island of strange enchantment and stirring adventures to Lavinia, their daughter. Because Favonius, Lavinia's father, had incurred the displeasure of Emperor Hadrian, he was suddenly appointed "legatus" to far away Britain. After sad farewells, the whole family began their long journey along the Roman roads through Gaul, across the channel to the white cliffs of the British coast. "The White Isle" was one of the first books to bring young people a spirited picture of Roman life in Gual and Britain and is one of Caroline Dale Snedeker's finest books.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

Reviews

[Wayne Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (A. D. 117-138), and Lavinia Claudius is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives on the Palatine Hill in Rome with her father Publius Favonius, mother Aurelia, and older brother Marcus. The Claudius family is an old, noble, and formerly wealthy family which has fallen on hard times. Furthermore, Favonius is out of favor with the Emperor and has been appointed to an obscure military post in far-off Britain. Lavinia is betrothed to marry a rich neighbor named Decimus, and Aurelia hopes that Lavinia’s remaining in Rome as Decimus’s wife while the rest of the family travels to Britain will help to restore their lost fortunes. However, Lavinia overhears Decimus call her ugly, and the night before the wedding he disgraces his family by getting on a ship and running off to Iberia.

The Claudius family is outraged, but Lavinia is secretly relieved and is glad to travel with the rest of them through Italia and Gaul, across the Fretum Gallicum (English Channel), to the White Isle of Britain, having many adventures and meeting a lot of new friends along the way. The Claudians settle in Corinium where Lavinia is now betrothed to Carminius, a young man whose sisters have become friends with her. After Favonius goes off to his post and Marcus to join the army, Aurelia and Lavinia travel with their friend Marcia from back in Rome, whom they meet unexpectedly at the baths in Aqua Sulis, to visit her home in the distant city of Dumnores. On the way they are captured by a tribe of Britons known as Durotrigs but are rescued by a band of Christians led by a young man named Govan. All Lavinia has heard about Christians is that they offer human sacrifices and drink the blood of their children. Yet, she finds herself strangely drawn to Govan. Will Aurelia and Lavinia ever make it back home to see Favonius and Marcus? And will Lavinia marry Carminius or someone else?

As she did in her other historical fiction novels of the classical realm, such as Theras and His Town, Lysis Goes to the Play, The Spartan, The Forgotten Daughter, and A Triumph for Flavius, author Caroline Dale Snedeker paints a wonderfully accurate picture of everyday life and times in second-century Rome and Britain that children can appreciate. Added to this is the benefit of seeing the contrast between the cultures of the pagan Roman aristocracy and the ancient British Christians. There are a few references to some myths and legends concerning early Christianity which cannot be substantiated by fact, such as that of Joseph of Arimathaea’s bringing to Britain the silver chalice that Jesus used at the last supper, but, of course, this is also a very important part of the underlying foundation for the “Holy Grail” stories of Arthurian fame. All in all, The White Isle is a great book. We did it as a family read aloud, and everyone enjoyed it.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this book as part of our history curriculum, and while it does give insight into Roman culture during the time when Rome expanded into Britain, overall it was not a favorite. The story itself was painfully slow until around page 158, when suddenly there’s some action! Hey! From then on, the whole story moves too fast - including a romance that my daughter constantly cringed saying, “They just met yesterday!” (I agree.) We gleaned what we could from a historical perspective, but we truly did not love the storyline or the characters.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl travels with her family to Britain in the late first/early second century.
Students learn about:
-life during this time in southern and western Europe including family relationships, politics, household customs and religious practice
-the influence of the Roman empire along the family's route
-the spread of the early church. Themes of family, home, love, friendship.
Engaging story but this edition has some errors.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just the kind of historical fiction that I enjoy. Informative, unique, not overly intense but very engaging. Suitable for middle or high school students and still a fun read for adults. I preread this one before handing it over to my kids. Great for those studying the Roman Empire and/or the first century A.D.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of our 7th grade homeschool co-op literature reading.
It started off seeming a bit…simple, perhaps? It certainly wasn’t a difficult read. However, the story did draw me in after a couple of chapters, and held me after that. I found a bit of heresy toward the end, and am looking forward to seeing whether my 13yo asks me about it…

[Tammie Groeneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. We had spent time in Cirencester, Bath, Glastonbury recently and it was fun to be thinking of those places while reading this. The story was actually quite compelling. It kept me reading all day! Loved it!

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for my daughters school and didn’t really care for it. It’s about a Roman girl who moves to Britain with her family and while the events are interesting I didn’t care for the characters or the style and had to force myself to finish it.

[Katie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved this book in conjunction with Cycle 1 of CC.

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are few children's fiction books imaginatively set in the time period of early Roman Britain, so that's what makes this book of some value. The author has a vivid and romantic imagination, informed by history, geography, and archeological research, so you get to feel like you are there.
But it gets too romantic - not only the sudden escalating romance at the end, but the random, infatuated opinions posited throughout the story -

For example:
"To most young girls and boys at the age of sixteen there comes an unearthly beauty. It has little to do with features or previous appearance. It is as if at this time the gods set their seal upon their work and say, "Here is perfection; here is the zenith." This beauty lasts about six months or at most a year and then is gone, never to return. Afterward the young person may be handsome, noticeable, compelling. But that ethereal look like an appearance of divinity is not there again. And now this look settled upon Lavinia..."

Really?

There's more of the strangeness when Lavinia is introduced to Christianity, (which is overall, a positive thing after her life as an idol-worshiper) and the author starts weaving in some offbeat spiritual beliefs -

Govan says, "But I am one who hears. Our Lord opens the door of the spirit and I see through."

Or, "Perhaps such hours follow us into heaven and there are souls can relive them, not as memory but as actual rooms into which we can enter. For in heaven imagination becomes reality".

Hm.

I really appreciated the sense of tasting Rome and the layout of ancient Britain - this is definitely a 'living book' - but the author is overly sentimental, and the boatload of romance and offbeat theology made it definitely questionable too. I read it aloud and skipped lines and paragraphs as we went.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book of a Roman family out of favor with the emperor traveling to the outer reaches of the Roman Empire in Britain and settling into a different lifestyle. You get a little of the politics and militarism but more of adventure and homelife and some of the various religions encountered. Her writing style is lively, descriptive and lyrical. I enjoy her insights into various characters psyches and relationships.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The White Isle is a book that effortlessly combines Roman culture with unique characters and how their destinies intertwine. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, full of knowledge and information, but also human nature and the culture at the time—how everyone interacted back then.

I would highly recommend this book.

[Liza Verdon]

I had to read this for a course I'm doing, but honestly, I don't know why. It was moderately informative culture wise, but other than that it was a total turn-off.

[Ty Zeiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite historical fictions from my childhood and it was a pleasure to read it again now in my late teens.