The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Author(s): Elizabeth George Speare
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.
Review(s):
“The book has a lively plot and excellent characterizations. The background has every dimension of reality.”
"Strong plot, fully realized characters, and convincing atmosphere distinguish this historical narrative."
“Rarely has a book taken us back into seventeenth-century life as this does.”
"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."
Newbery Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (Vermont)
ISBN: 9780547550299