Maria

Dublin Core

Abstract

With growing conflict between the English and the Spanish, Maria Evans must follow her husband, soldier David Fenwick, to St. Augustine after he is gravely injured. This change in scenery forces her to adapt to new environments and people or face the consequences of falling behind. In this story of resilience and strength, trained midwife Maria Evans Fenwick Peavett Hudson finds herself with the skill and attitude to make a name for herself in the Ancient City. After her second marriage, she and Joseph Peavett bought what is known now as The Oldest House.

Other than Maria and her three husbands, other historical personages featured include, but are not limited to: John Leslie, Fr. Thomas Hassett, Jessie Fish, Richard Evans, John Edward Tate, John Moultrie, James Moultrie, Don Luciano de Herrera, Governor James Grant, and Governor Vicente Manuel de Zespedes.

The other identifiable local locations are the Plaza de la Constitucion, Matanzas River, the Governor's House (Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum), the Luciano de Herrera House, St. Francis Barracks, Tolomato Cemetery, Anastasia Island, and land in the now-South Ponte Vedra Beach region.
According to the Oldest House Museum, the historical accuracy of this historic novel is questionable. A lot of the details of Maria's life and three marriages were heavily fictionalized for the story.

Identifier

PS3566 .R47 M34 2012

Access Rights

This item is part of the Circulating Collection and can be checked out with a valid Flagler ID. Non-Flagler affiliates will need to request this book through their local library's Inter-Library Loan program.

Creator

Title

Maria

Alternative Title

St. Augustine Trilogy, Book 1

Publisher

1st edition:
Philadelphia: Lippincott

Reprint edition:
Nashville: Turner Publishing Co.

Date

Format

Hardcover book

Language

English

Audience

Subject

Historical
Romance

Coverage

British Period
2nd Spanish Period

Accrual Method

Purchased

Has Format

Available for free on Internet Archive. [1st edition]

Has Version

Live in St. Johns County and have a Library Card?

The County Public Library also collects St. Augustine Fiction. Please visit their website to see which branches have a copy of this title.

References

Gardner, Janette C. An Annotated Bibliography of Florida Fiction, 1801-1980. St. Petersburg, FL: Little Bayou Press, 1983.

McCarthy, Kevin. M. The Book Lover’s Guide to Florida. 1st ed. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, 1992.

McCarthy, Kevin. M. “Historical St. Augustine in Fiction.” El Escribano 15 (1978): 61-69.

Bibliographic Citation

1st edition:
Price, Eugenia. Maria. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1977.

Reprint edition:
Price, Eugenia. Maria. Nashville: Turner Publishing Co., 2012.

Citation

Eugenia Price, “Maria,” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed July 19, 2025, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/146.

Geolocation