Review:Â The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare
The story of The Witch of Blackbird Pond revolves around a young girl named Katherine Tyler, or Kit as she prefers to be called. Kit’s parents met on the Island of Barbados and not long after Kit’s birth, she was orphaned due to a tragic boating accident. From then on she was raised by her loving, wealthy uncle until he too had passed when she is just 16. Since the book takes place in the late 1600s, it is inappropriate for young unmarried girls to be living on their own. Kit purchased passage on The Dolphin set for the Connecticut colony in America where her Aunt is living. While on the voyage, she meets the son of the Captain, Nat, who unbeknownst to her, has stolen her heart. She also meets Jon Holbrook who is traveling to the same colony as Kit, in hopes of being mentored in medicine by the towns’ doctor. She arrives at her Aunts home, where she meets her distant family for the first time. Her cousins, Judith and Mercy Wood greet her with open arms as does her Aunt Rachel. Aunt Rachel’s Husband, Matthew on the other hand is stoic and hesitant towards the surprise visitor. Kit slowly becomes integrated into the family and has a hard time getting use to doing work inside as well as outside the house. It’s not long until Kit is courted by a young man from the small town and starts to learn the hard way on how exactly a woman should behave. Kit meets an older woman who lives by Blackbird Pond who has been branded a witch and soon the two become close friends. The young girl has to hide these visits to the pond and through the shared secrets as well as the similar moral standing; Kit and Mercy grow a unique bond throughout the progression of the novel. Kit also goes through a period of extreme home sickness. She even considers marring into a wealthy family as soon as possible in hopes of receiving a better life then she has now. Kit experiences her first snow fall as well as her first Sunday church service (services were usually held twice a day, not just once), and thrown into the middle of the infamous witch trials. By the end of the book, you can only hope Katharine Tyler gets a happy ending.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond was a rollercoaster I will never forget. The book was originally published in 1958 and was awarded unanimously, the Newbery Medal in 1959. The forward written by Karen Cushman made an excellent point. This book was written when female characters like “the perky, fearless Nancy Drew or the wholesome, do-gooding Nan Bobbsey, or pretty and popular Sue Barton, student nurse.” were very popular and some girls found it difficult to feel as if they could relate to these characters easily. “…Kit Tyler was like me, an ordinary girl, scared and lonely, stubborn and independent and a bit rebellious, trying to figure out a new world and make a place for herself in it. Yes, that was me.” Elizabeth Speare did a fantastic job with making each character in the novel well rounded and human. I found myself consistently on my toes and wanting more as I continued reading. I was impressed that the ending did not leave me wanting and although I wished the book hadn’t ended, the conclusion was tied into a neat little bow. I would recommend this novel to a reader who would like to see a strong female role in the forefront of an entire storyline. This book really does take you back in time so if you are a reader who loves to read a novel that integrates key history events; this is diffidently a book you want to add to your shelf.
~Fiction-Book-Reviewer   Â
