Saturday, December 9, 2017

Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl by John Demos - NO

Demos, John Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl, 131 pages.  Amulet (Abrams), 2017.  $17.  Content: G.

In 1704 the village of Deerfield in the Massachusetts colony was invaded by the French and their Indian compatriots and the citizens were either killed, captured, or left behind to starve or survive on their own.  Eventually everyone was ransomed or returned except for one girl – Eunice.  Eunice’s father was the minister of the town, and prominent in the area, and the French wanted to torture him and make an example of his daughter.  Eunice, only seven, was adopted by an Indian family and quickly forgot her English and adapted to the native way of life.  Even when she could have returned years later, she chose to never go back to the English way of life.

Back in 2001 Caroline Cooney wrote The Ransom of Mercy Carter, which covers the story of another girl from the same town.  You should read that one instead.  Demos tries so hard to stick to the strictly historical facts that he spends 90% of the book telling us the story instead of showing it to us.  Since the book is considered fiction, I don’t understand his choices.  Now someone needs to take this book as source material and write it in a way that will immerse us into Eunice’s compelling journey.  Anyone know Caroline Cooney?  Ann Rinaldi? Carolyn Meyer?

NO – Cindy, Library Teacher

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