Book: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Date Read: November 12 to November 24, 2015

Rating: 5 (of 5) stars

This is a book from my childhood, and yet, not something that I would quite consider a childhood memory. Okay, okay, I realize that makes no sense.

I know the cover of this book from my childhood. I remember talking about the events of the first chapter of this book some time in middle school. But when I decided to revisit it a few years ago, I had absolutely no recollection of anything that happened in the rest of the book. I knew the basic premise of the book, but the story was completely unfamiliar to me. I have chosen to attribute that to me not finishing it back then, as I really do not think I could have forgotten a story that I now love so much.

The story covers a huge range of topics, while painting a fair picture of life in Puritan New England. Kit is the perfect hero for the target age range for this book– she is fierce and independent, but learns that her own priorities require her to balance this with her family and her friendships. And of course, what is there that you could not love about about Hannah? She is perhaps quirky, but warm and loyal. She bakes for her friends, and will not abandon those who depend on her (even if it is her cat).

While perhaps a minor point in the story, there is a moment that resonates for me, and touches upon my love for the fall season. Having lived all of her life in the tropics, Kit is at first taken aback by the weather of dreary New England. However, one morning she awakes to an unexpected sight: the world has become awash with brilliant reds, oranges, and gold. She realizes as she gazes over the landscape, “in October, any wonderful unexpected thing might be possible.”

Boris’s thoughts: “You started this on the day you met me, AND someone goes back to rescue a cat? 4 paws!”