Inglis Fletcher. The Carolina Series.

• Raleigh’s Eden. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1940.
• Men of Albemarle. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1942.
• Lusty Wind for Carolina. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1944.
• Toil of the Brave. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1946.
• Roanoke Hundred. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1948.
• Bennett’s Welcome. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1950.
• Queen’s Gift. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1952.
• The Scotswoman. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1955.
• The Wind in the Forest. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1957.
• Cormorant’s Brood. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1959.
• Wicked Lady. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1962.
• Rogue’s Harbor. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1964.

This is the series that gave many people, including a lot of native North Carolinians, their ideas about the early history of North Carolina.  Ms. Fletcher was a diligent researcher whose novels include many factual details, even as she spun romantic tales of exploration, colonization, and the struggle for independence from England.  The period of exploration and early colonization are covered in Roanoke Hundred, Bennett’s Welcome, and Rogue’s Harbor.  The early eighteenth century is the setting for Men of Albemarle, Lusty Wind for Carolina, and Cormorant’s Brood.  The run-up to the American Revolution is treated in Raleigh’s Eden, The Wind in the Forest, and The Scotswoman, while the war itself is the background for Toil of the Brave and Wicked Lady. Queen’s Gift is set in the period immediately after the colonies have gained their independence.  Although more recent historical novels display a less romanticized view of the past, Ms. Fletcher’s novels remain a good choice for readers seeking an entertaining and educational presentation of the early eras of our state’s history.