Advanced Children's Literature: Historical Fiction

Speare, Elizabeth George. THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958.

"Witch" is the story of wealthy Kit Tyler, who leaves Barbados in the late 1600's after the death of her Grandfather and ends up sailing to be with her only known relatives, her aunt, uncle, and cousins from her mother's side of the family in the then colony of Connecticut. Speare's modern classic is as fresh as ever. The characterization of her cousins, Mercy, Judith, her Aunt Rachel and Uncle William are detailed and lively. Kit learns to knit, spin, cook, make candles deftly and without complaining. For a free spirited girl treated akin to royalty from the Carribean this is no easy task! The gentlemen in the story are fleshed out as well, the suitors of the girls, the militia men, the ministers, and the shipmen. The central focus of "Witch" is that Kit keeps her uniqueness and mind of her own and in the end is accepted in part by the Puritan village. Into this world of Puritans there exists one outsider such as Kit, Hannah Tupper an elderly widow-woman who is a Quaker and lives on the other side of the settlement on Blackbird Pond. Hannah is an outcast and perceived to be a witch because she is different than her neighbors. Kit visits and becomes friends with Hannah who understands her and becomes a Grandmother figure to her. Kit's mettle is tested when she must warn and help rescue Hannah from the frenzied crowd as troubles are wrongly blamed on Hannah. Prison, the stocks, going to meeting in frigid weather, all these things Kit learns to bear. The central focus of the story is that Kit keeps her uniqueness and mind of her own and in the end is accepted in part by the Puritan village. Being more educated than the rest of the townspeople, knowing how to swim rather than sinking in the water, her expensive and regal dresses, teaching children to "act out" Scriptures when they tire of reading them all make the townspeople have misgivings about Kit. To earn the respect and approval of her Uncle is perhaps her hardest task. Kit's spirit is tested but never broken. She learns to follow her own conscience rather than the dictates of others as she befriends and teaches a young girl who is abused by her harsh parents and is not allowed to attend school where Kit and Judith serve as teachers. Speare's writing comes alive with a richly detailed setting, potent emotions, and a coming of age story where all three young girls find their mate in a believable fashion. It is easy to understand why this title won the Newbery Medal and almost 50 years later is still in print, on summer reading and Accelerated Reader lists.