Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl

October 15, 2017
From Puritan to Mohawk. Eunice Williams, a young white Puritan girl, lives with her family in Deerfield, Massachusetts. During the winter of 1704, the town is attacked in the middle of the night by French soldiers and Mohawk warriors who kill the Williams' black servant (this atypical act is unexplained) and Eunice's newborn baby sister. The rest of the family is captured and taken from Deerfield. As they travel, Eunice is separated from them, eventually to be taken to live in the Mohawk village of Kahnawake in Canada. There, Eunice learns the language and lives among them as one of their own. Though her father makes many requests for her return, Eunice refuses and lives the rest of her life with the Mohawks. The author notes that this is his fictionalized account of Eunice's story and her time with the Mohawks, so the Mohawk way of life is seen through the eyes of an outsider, apparent in such details as when the author refers to Mohawk traditional clothing as "costumes." In this light, Demos' statement that "All history is, in one way or another, the product of our imagination," comes across as justification to support a narrative of Mohawk culture sourced primarily from white records and histories, despite the participation of a Mohawk educator in the preparation of the book, as noted in the acknowledgements. Indeed, Demos' practice of sourcing his own book for adults in his notes adds another filter between readers and the Mohawks. A one-sided account. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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January 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-This "Indian captivity" novel is a fictionalized version of the experiences of a Puritan girl who was captured by Mohawk warriors at the age of seven. Eunice and her family settled in Deerfield, MA, just prior to the French and Indian War. Mohawks and settlers were killed, and among the dead were Eunice's mother and newborn sister. Eunice and her family are captured and separated from each other, and she is brought to a Mohawk village in Canada under French rule and influenced by Catholic missions. Her father, a prominent minister, escapes and negotiates the release of her two brothers, but Eunice's new family refuses to let her go. She ultimately decides to remain with the Mohawk family. The story follows her life among the Mohawk and describes various cultural beliefs and customs, the conflict between the Puritan and Catholic beliefs, and the prejudiced views both groups held about the Mohawk. What makes the story of Eunice, who later was given the name Gannenstenhai (She Brings in Corn), compelling is the portrayal of her transition from a white, colonialist culture to the Mohawk way of life. VERDICT Though far from a perfect representation of Mohawk history and culture, this novel nevertheless offers young readers a window into the conflicting cultural privileges and prejudices at play during this period of time. A historical novel best used in conjunction with supplemental texts and nonfiction about the relationship between colonists and Native peoples of the Americas.-Naomi Caldwell, Alabama State University, Montgomery

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 This young reader's adaptation of Yale historian Demos' 1994 title, The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America, recounts the story of the 1704 raid of Deerfield, Massachusetts, in which seven-year-old Puritan Eunice Williams and her family are kidnapped by French Canadian, Mohawk, and Abenaki warriors and marched into Canada. Eunice is adopted by Mohawks and eventually opts to stay with the group throughout her life, despite pleas from her family to return. The narrative concentrates on Eunice's early life, and Demos appends clarifications about the facts and fictions in the story as well as detailed source notes. Historical fiction is a fraught genre these days, particularly where indigenous perspectives are involved. Demos, who is not Mohawk, will be criticized for including insider details (origin stories and ceremonial specifics). Still, the story is well researched and told, openly admits that Europeans stole indigenous lands, and offers a clear explanation of the alliances and motivations of the groups involved in this conflict. All in all, a solid upgrade for those currently using older captive narratives.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)