library binding, 249 pages
Published Jan. 10, 2011 by Perfection Learning.
Orphaned Kit Tyler knows, as she gazes for the first time at the cold, bleak shores of Connecticut Colony, that her new home will never be like the shimmering Caribbean island she left behind. In her relatives' stern Puritan community, she feels like a tropical bird that has flown to the wrong part of the world, a bird that is now caged and lonely. The only place where Kit feels completely free is in the meadows, where she enjoys the company of the old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and on occasion, her young sailor friend Nat. But when Kit's friendship with the "witch" is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear, and anger. She herself is accused of witchcraft!
I had totally forgotten this existed until it came up on the Kindle sale, and then as soon as I opened it, it all came rushing back to me. Perfect Friday night binge read.
While the ending is conventional, the rest of this novel is refreshingly subtle. The protagonist, Kit, battles the strictures of a Connecticut Puritan colony, while finding her place as an alien arrival within it. The author manages to portray Puritan society in a critical light without denigrating it completely -- in the end, it is rather human nature that is truly put on trial.
Every so often it is nice to revisit old childhood favorites to see how they stand the test of time, or to read ones that you somehow missed. I had never read "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" when I was growing up. My daughter read it for our family book club a few summers ago and she made it sound so interesting that I finally picked it up to read. She was right; I really enjoyed it.
Set prior to the Revolutionary War, Kit travels from Barbados to her family in Connecticut after her grandfather dies, leaving her homeless and penniless. She grew up in a life of wealth and privilege, so adjusting to the Puritan life of colonial America was a bit of an adjustment. She befriends an old Quaker woman who is shunned for her beliefs, and eventually matures and better understands the world.
If you haven't read …
Every so often it is nice to revisit old childhood favorites to see how they stand the test of time, or to read ones that you somehow missed. I had never read "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" when I was growing up. My daughter read it for our family book club a few summers ago and she made it sound so interesting that I finally picked it up to read. She was right; I really enjoyed it.
Set prior to the Revolutionary War, Kit travels from Barbados to her family in Connecticut after her grandfather dies, leaving her homeless and penniless. She grew up in a life of wealth and privilege, so adjusting to the Puritan life of colonial America was a bit of an adjustment. She befriends an old Quaker woman who is shunned for her beliefs, and eventually matures and better understands the world.
If you haven't read this little gem, you should, especially if you like historical fiction. It's a fast, enjoyable read.
