Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1867. 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’s Newbery Award–winning novel portrays a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love.
When my Mom first handed me this book I was intrigued by the cover (which is very different from the cover above…) and the synopsis. So I started reading it and immediately connected with Kit.
Her struggles felt so real to me, and so did her small triumphs. The way she helped Prudence and befriended Hannah… it gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Her relationship with Nat doesn’t feel forced and it also gave me the warm, fuzzy feeling. (What can I say – I’m a romantic. :D)
My Favorite Scene
Okay, it’s really two parts to the same scene. 🙂
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“Hold a minute, Captain!” called a voice. A commotion near the door had been scarcely noticed. “There’s a fellow here says he has an important witness for the case.”
Every voice was suddenly stilled. Almost paralyzed with dread, Kit turned slowly to face a new accuser. On the threshold of the room stood Nat Eaton, slim, straight-shouldered, without a trace of mockery in his level blue eyes.
Nat! The wave of joy and relief was so unexpected that she almost lost her balance, but almost instantly it drained away and left a new fear. For she saw that beside him, clinging tightly to his hand, was Prudence Cruff.
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In the warm rush of pride that welled up in her, Kit forgot her fear. For the first time she dared to look back at Nat Eaton where he stood near the door. Across the room their eyes met, and suddenly it was as though he had thrown a line straight into her reaching hands. She could feel the pull of it, and over its taut span strength flowed into her, warm and sustaining.
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And I would put the ending here (because it’s perfect!) but I don’t want to spoil the whole book. But trust me when I say you want to read this book, if only so you can read the awesome ending. 🙂
The Verdict: 5 of 5 Stars
This is a great historical fiction book that definitely deserved the Newbery Award!