The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Description

In this Newbery Medal-winning novel, a girl faces prejudice and accusations of witchcraft in seventeenth-century Connecticut. A classic of historical fiction that continues to resonate across the generations. Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit's friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.

Elizabeth George Speare was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1908. She grew up in New England, and in 1936 married and moved to Connecticut. She won the 1959 Newbery Medal for THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, and the 1962 Newbery Medal for THE BRONZE BOW. She also received a Newbery Honor Award in 1983, and in 1989 she was presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her substantial and enduring contribution to children's literature. She died in 1994.

"The book has a lively plot and excellent characterizations. The background has every dimension of reality." -- New York Times "Strong plot, fully realized characters, and convincing atmosphere distinguish this historical narrative." -- Booklist "Rarely has a book taken us back into seventeenth-century life as this does." -- Herald Tribune "Kit's vindication, her gradual integration into the community and the positive effect she has on those about her, combine here in a well documented novel." -- Kirkus Reviews