Cassandra, Lost

By Joanna Catherine Scott

Book Overview

"A smart, sensitive book about independence, identity, and survival. Scott can really write. Her sentences are lean and move with authority."--THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW ON THE LUCKY GOURD SHOP

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312319436
• ISBN13: 9780312319434
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 0.9" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

A riveting historical novel inspired by fact...

In an old graveyard in Cockeysville, Maryland, there is a crumbling obelisk that reads simply, "Cassandra van Pradelles, Lost at Sea, 1815." When author Joanna Catherine Scott moved to Cockeysville and began exploring the town's history, she become curious about the grave, which towered over the others in the cemetery. Who was its occupant, and why was her tombstone so vague? Eventually, Scott came into contact with an ancestor of Cassandra's, who offered her access to the family's papers. From the documents, Scott began to piece together Cassandra's story -- a tale of conspiracy and devotion, of infidelity and revenge, of deception and passion. Cassandra Deye Cockey Owings is seventeen years old, the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, when she falls in love with Benedict van Pradelles, an officer in the French army. After her father forbids the two to marry, Cassandra and Benedict elope to France...only to discover that, in the midst of the French Revolution, Benedict's family has lost everything: their lands, their wealth, their status. Benedict's parents are living like paupers in a Paris town house, and his mother is gravely ill. While Cassandra cares for her, Benedict and his father plot their return to America, along with an accomplice, Monsier de la Fitte, and his son Jean. Cassandra and Jean become fast friends, and Cassandra laments his absence when she and Benedict return to America and settle in New Orleans, eventually building a life of wealth and privilege for their family. But Jean will return to Cassandra, this time as notorious pirate Jean Lafitte, and his reentrance into her life will lead to devastation and passion, heartache and redemption, for Cassandra and those she loves. I was utterly enchanted by CASSANDRA, LOST. Cassandra's tale of intrigue and romance, much of it on the high seas, kept me completely riveted. CASSANDRA, LOST is such an exciting and adventurous tale that it's often hard to believe it's based on a real person's life! It's an incredibly atmospheric and well-paced novel, taking readers from a picturesque Maryland farm to revolutionary France to raw and wild New Orleans. Scott has clearly done meticulous research into the Owings family history, and her fictional embellishments are well-handled and bring her long-dead cast of characters completely to life. The characters are incredibly well-developed, and I'm sure the real-life versions would have been proud of their fictional representations. I would definitely recommend CASSANDRA, LOST, as both a historical read and as a guilty pleasure. There's plenty of history and also plenty of debauchery to keep anyone entertained on a rainy day. I think everyone has wondered at some point, while walking through an old graveyard, what kind of lives were lived by the people whose names are etched on old, crumbling stones. Who were they, how did they live, how did they die? Scott's novel provides a life for one of those names on one of those grave

Well written and fun.

Even though this book was fiction, it was based on a true story and it was exciting. I enjoyed the book . The lady in the book, Cassandra, was a real person and was the daughter of my 7th great grandfather's brother Joshua. The story was true about many things. ie... family members, husband and the area and other persons in the story line, especially that she was captured and died at sea due to pirates, but the differing personalities are questionable as we cant know what they were really like. Some attributes to Joshua being such a harsh man, could actually be disputed as he was very much hailed as a staunch Methodist Christian. That said, it made for a good read as we all would like to have at least some infamous characters with romance and adventure in our ancestory.

An Excellent Story

Cassandra Deye Cockey Owings, the beautiful oldest daughter of John and Colegate Owings, was buried in the small cemetery in Cockeysville, or should one say her tombstone marks the place she would be. A simple marker that reads "Cassandra van Pradelles, Lost At Sea, 1815." When the author saw this she became interested in the story of what happened to this young woman. The story of Cassandra is touching and will have readers captured from the beginning to the end. Cassandra was hopelessly in love with the dashing Frenchman Benedict van Pradelles and against her father's wishes she marries him and sets off for France with him. France was in the middle of their Revolution yet Cassandra stayed with her husband's family and took care of his sick mother. The history that Ms. Scott works into the story is excellent and even the smallest detail is not overlooked. The love for her husband would not let her escape for her own safety and she willingly helped save her in-laws from the soldiers. Both her and her husband fled France for New Orleans where the wounded Benedict died. Inconsolable, Cassandra so close to home, still had not contacted her family. When she found out her father was ill she made plans to return home. The coast line of the U.S. was not safe in those times with river pirates at every turn and Jean Lafitte being the most famous. Cassandra never returned home, her ship was never found, or her body. The mystery of where and what happened to her still remains, yet her silverware and linens were said to found in Lafitte's hideout. The jewelry found there also was identified as hers yet no one knows where poor Cassandra's body is. Maybe one day the mystery will be solved, but until then do read this excellent story of a remarkable woman who sacrificed all for love and lived through so much in her life. I highly recommend it. - Louise Riveiro-Mitchell, author of 'Autumn Sky'