The Captain and Thomasine

By Don Floyd
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Hardcover, 290 pages
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The Captain and Thomasine
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Grew up a girl, became a soldier, dressed as a woman,defended herself in stunning Jamestown court case. Cross-dressing was not all that uncommon in the 17th Century, not among the English and not among the Native Americans of Virginia. But the Thomas/Thomasine Hall case of 1629 was not about cross-dressing as we think of it today. It was about choice-dressing – it was about America’s first known intersexual, her struggle for identity in a male-female world and her choice to dress as a woman despite efforts of settlers in Jamestown to force her to dress as a man. Thomasine Hall testified during a March 25, 1629, session of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia that she was christened as a girl in Newcastle upon Tyne, named Thomasine and was raised as a girl. She considered herself a girl in childhood and a woman in adulthood. It was her wish to be called a woman, to be called Thomasine, which was her birth name.
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Jun. 20, 2011 By Margaret Woodrough
Stephaun Paul says:

The Captain and Thomasine is a love letter to our collective past. Jamestown, Virginia, 1629: the historical Captain Nathaniel Basse, ancient planter, nation builder, steps onto the page with flesh on his bones and takes his place among the giants of industry and nation who would pioneer and father forth the indomitable spirit of one of the greatest nations in the history of mankind. From one such heart and mind comes a work of quiet strength and tenderness. Don Floyd has raised our forefather from the grave and allowed him to walk among us once more. We meet a man comfortable in his own skin; a man who wears his dignity like an old coat; a man at the end of his life... More > who has earned the love and respect of his family and peers by his courage and compassion. He is a man who has matured into his stature by the development of a judicious mind and a spirit of tolerance for all God’s creatures. In The Captain and Thomasine we see a man built by a nation--an Englishman come home to die as an American. We meet his son, John, who will go home to America to continue what was started by his father and a handful of people who conquered death and fear to give him an inheritance far greater than lands and money. John is possessed of a balanced nature imparted to him by an engaged and loving father. We’re introduced to Nathaniel’s famous uncle, the poet, William Basse, an Englishman of solid spirit and humor. In three generations of Basse men, we begin to experience the continuity that would become our own history, and we meet the historical, Jamestown hermaphrodite, Thomasine, who has traveled to England to give back to her mentor and savior the lovingkindness he once gave to her. Don Floyd has borrowed heavily from history and the family mythology to build a work of fluidity that is hard to put down, and for that reason, is a quick read. In his own words, “It is a book about intersexuality, compassion, loyalty, love, spirituality, forgiveness and the triumph of beauty.” The obvious love with which Don has handled his subject projects onto Nathaniel Basse a goodness which leaves a defined impression of the author’s own goodness. A work of fiction based on historical fact relies heavily on legend and imagination. In the end, Mr. Floyd is careful to separate fact from fiction and gives us a judicious work worthy of its subject and free from didacticism. The story smolders, still, in the crucible of history releasing to us the spirit of our fathers and revealing to us our own. Nathaniel Basse is one of a handful who gave us our heritage, and we are all his children whether by blood or destiny. The Captain and Thomasine makes us proud of that history.

Margot Woodrough says this:

This is historical fiction with a heart.
When Jamestown was being settled two unlikely characters crossed paths.
Nathaniel Basse was from a wealthy London family. While serving in the early government of Jamestown he presided at the trial of Thomasine Hall. Both figures appear in historical records. Don Floyd has used them to write a story of compassion, love and tolerance. Don is a meticulous researcher with a desire to paint an accurate picture of Jamestown and London in the mid 17th century. In addition there are some interesting historical postscripts at the end. I highly recommend this delightful book. < Less
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Dec. 24, 2011 By Stephens Blakely
This book by Don Floyd takes a historical setting in Jamestown where the first known intersexuality dilemma in America unfolds. The author produces a remarkable and sagacious story of compassion, loyalty and courage. His tenderness of heart, intellect and love of history fill the pages of “The Captain and Thomasine,” a novel easy to read, enabled by a flow that makes it difficult to put down. Mr. Floyd cleverly makes this historical fiction come alive with documented figures such as Captain Nathaniel Basse, his son John, his uncle William Basse and Thomasine Hall.

Captain Nathaniel Basse is truly a man of character, courage and compassion, and his life greatly contributes to the... More > emerging morals and ethics of our nation. His profound courage and the earnest desire to always do the right thing earn him the right to conquer death and inherit the ultimate gift. John is a carbon copy of his father. He has inherited the captain’s attributes and will carry on the Basse name with pride and humility. William Basse has the spirit and wit that one would expect from such a poet of his time. Thomasine Hall went on trial in 1629 to distinguish if she was a man or a woman. Thomasine defended herself in this historical Jamestown case with the courage and tolerance that makes this book a must read.

The author has researched his topic well and does an excellent job of combining history, legend, imagination and wit. Fact is separated from fiction so there are no historical misunderstandings. At the end of the book, the author adds Historical Postscripts, which are very interesting and valuable in fully understanding this story from the 17th Century. The author writes from the heart with a kindred spirit that is unsurpassed.

The book has a few surprises which add to the already polished manner of Mr. Floyd’s style and technique. The written style of the book is unique to most modern authors, contributing greatly to the auspiciousness of the overall book. I applaud the author’s keen and judicious technique in highlighting the real beauty of redemption and the secret in achieving a triumphant life. I highly recommend this fascinating book.

Neal W. Clark, Ed. D.

Neal W. Clark, a lifetime Georgian, holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He is a former high school teacher, principal and assistant superintendent of schools. He now serves as Educational Administrator for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice/Office of Education and lives in Hawkinsville, Ga. < Less
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Product Details

ISBN 978-0-557-37676-6
Copyright Donald Floyd (Standard Copyright License)
Edition First
Published July 12, 2010
Language English
Pages 290
 
Binding Hardcover (casewrap)
Interior Ink Black & white
Weight 1.03 lbs.
Dimensions (inches) 6.0 wide × 9.0 tall

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Nathaniel Basse, Donald R. Floyd, Basse family

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