The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

First published: 1958

Type of work: Historical fiction

Themes: Friendship, love and romance, religion, and family

Time of work: The late seventeenth century

Recommended Ages: 13-15

Locale: Wethersfield in Connecticut Colony

Principal Characters:

• Kit Tyler, a headstrong, impetuous sixteen-year-old who arrives unannounced from Barbados to live with her aunt
• Nathaniel Eaton, the handsome son of the ship’s captain
• Rachel Wood, Kit’s aunt; a kind, loving woman who warmly welcomes her
• Matthew Wood, Rachel’s husband, a stern man; a leader in the church and in the colony
• Judith Wood, the beautiful, self-centered elder daughter of Rachel
• Mercy Wood, the handicapped younger daughter of Rachel; she has an air of gentleness and goodness
• Widow Hannah Tupper, a poor widow who has been labeled a witch and banished from the colony because she is a Quaker
• Prudence Cruff, the timid, abused daughter of Goodwife Cruff
• Goodwife Cruff, a cold domineering woman who leads the movement to have Kit tried as a witch

The Story

Orphaned Kit Tyler grew up on the island of Barbados in the luxurious house of her loving grandfather. When he dies, circumstances force her to seek sanctuary in the home of her aunt. The story begins with sixteen-year-old Kit on a ship going from Barbados to Connecticut Colony. During the course of the trip, she discovers many ways in which her background differs from those of the people in this new place. The simple act of swimming to rescue a young girl’s doll brings dire warnings that Puritans believe that only witches fail to sink when in deep water.

Upon her arrival in Connecticut, Kit is shocked by the restricting attitudes of the Puritans and the austere environment. Life is harsh in this new land, and there are no servants to do the work. Her aunt is delighted that she has come, and Judith and Mercy, her cousins, share in their mother’s joy to some degree but are shocked at Kit’s lack of work skills. Her uncle is shamed by the quantity of her possessions. The family strives to make the best of it and to get along, but Kit finds it extremely difficult to conform to such rigid standards and rules. All too often her independence and impetuosity cause serious problems.

The cast of characters in the story unfolds quickly: Nathaniel Eaton, a striking figure, the first mate on the ship, and the son of the captain; John Holbrook, a young clergyman, also a passenger on the ship, going to Wethersfield to study; William Ashby, considered by many to be the most eligible bachelor in the settlement because of his wealth, who soon asks permission to call on Kit as a suitor much to the dismay of Judith, who has been seeking his attentions.

Kit first meets Goodwife Cruff on the ship and is accused by her of being a witch, because Goodwife does not approve of Kit’s clothing or the fact that she went into the water to retrieve a doll. Prudence is the young, abused daughter of Goodwife.

A place called The Meadows, beside Blackbird Pond, reminds Kit of the freedoms of Barbados. The Meadows is where she meets the Widow Hannah, who lives alone in a small shack there with only her cats for company. Hannah has been accused by some of the townspeople of being a witch. A strong bond of friendship develops between Kit and Hannah, who has also been befriended by Nat.

Kit learns a painful lesson as she discovers the bigotry that exists in the community. She is accused of being a witch herself and is imprisoned. Nat comes to her rescue along with Prudence, who finds the courage to defy her mother and testify on behalf of Kit. Love and romance are an important part of this story, as Kit and her two cousins find the perfect mates and fall in love. Kit eventually decides that Wethersfield is home. She realizes that there is a place for her independence even in the Puritan community.

Context

Speare has written five books of historical fiction, four of them for upper-grade readers and one for those in the middle grades. The Witch of Blackbird Pond is the most popular and, in 1959, was her first to receive the Newbery Medal. In 1960, it was added to the International Board on Books for Young Children. Her book The Bronze Bow (1961) won the Newbery Medal in 1962, and a third book, The Sign of the Beaver (1983), was a Newbery Honor Book in 1984 in addition to being the first recipient of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 1983.

Speare’s first novel, The Calico Captive (1957), was an expansion of an actual diary of a young woman who, along with her family, was captured by Indians and forced to march to Canada. Thorough research enabled her to portray the background and setting of the story in a spellbinding manner, which enables the reader to become a part of that time period of history.

Speare’s research abilities were again evidenced in the one piece of nonfiction that she did, Life in Colonial America (1963). Without presenting an overwhelming amount of material, she was able to depict the essence of life in the southern, central, and New England colonies through careful selection of artifacts and illustrations. Speare has been admired for her ability to develop strong, lifelike characters who are fully human. Many similarities may be found in Daniel of The Bronze Bow and Kit of The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Both are intense young people with strong feelings about life. Through the course of the respective stories, both change and mature, coming to terms with themselves and those around them. In the process, each acquires a deeper understanding of the meaning of love and justice and the personal need for balance between independence and cooperation. The Witch of Blackbird Pond is an outstanding example of Speare’s skill in characterization. A wide variety of characters are presented, but all are fully developed and eerily viewed as real people. This book has effectively demonstrated the power of historical fiction to make history come alive for the reader, even one who may not have a love for history as an area of study.