Ora Smith

writer of Heritage Fiction – fascinating stories about ancestors

“Historical fiction is at its best when we see it through the eyes of those who lived it and this is what Ora Smith masterfully creates…”

Powhatan’s Power
The Peace of Pocahontas
The Peace of Pocahontas
Trading Thomas
Trading Thomas: Jamestown’s Boy Interpreter
Unacknowledged: The Possible Biological Mother of Howard Hughes
Unacknowledged: The Possible Biological Mother of Howard Hughes
At the height of Separatist suppression and enforced Anglican worship in England, Reverend John Lothropp meets and marries Hannah Howse. The witty, educated vicar’s daughter immediately challenges his decision to put God before a wife. In a world spiraling into hypocrisy, tyranny, and betrayal, Hannah refuses to break from her Anglican roots. But when John comes face-to-face with his deep-seated convictions about religious freedom, he’s forced to make a hard choice—renounce his orders with the Church of England to become an outlawed Separatist or conform and save his marriage, his family, and his life. Considered one of the most important ministers to follow in the footsteps of the Plymouth Pilgrims, John Lothropp helped plant the seeds of religious freedom in America’s soil and left a legacy of well-known individuals who influenced the nation’s destiny.
The Pulse of His Soul: The Story of John Lothropp, A Forgotten Forefather
Punished for her choice to leave the Church of England and meet illegally with the secret Separatist community, genteel Penninah Howse is thrown into Clink Prison with little chance of release. To survive prison under the evil of Bishop William Laud’s tyranny, she must evade the advances of a malicious jailer, learn to live with a cruel cellmate, and battle the enemies of hunger, filth, vermin, and self-doubt. When Robert Linnell finally succeeds in buying visitation rights, her old and dear friend not only brings food, he brings hope. Is there a chance he’ll find a way to secure her release? Or will this be her life forever?
The Cry of Her Heart: a companion novella to The Pulse of His Soul
WOR
White Oak River: A Story of Slavery’s Secrets