The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida

In this sweeping portrait of early French ambition in the New World, the author sketches the fragile colonies founded by Huguenot refugees along Florida’s coast between 1562 and 1570. Drawing on the scant surviving records, each vignette brings to life the hopes, hardships, and clashes that marked the fledgling settlement of Coligny. The narrative balances factual detail with a painterly imagination, letting listeners feel the heat of the Gulf and the tension of a distant empire’s reach.

The writer frames the tale as a “Romance of History,” deliberately keeping invention subordinate to documented events. Through vivid descriptions of storm‑tossed ships, uneasy alliances with indigenous peoples, and the daily struggle for survival, the story feels both scholarly and lyrical. Listeners are invited to travel alongside the early colonists, sharing their aspirations and doubts while gaining a clearer picture of a forgotten chapter in American history.