Adolescent girl's favorite

I first read The Witch of Blackbird Pond when I was 12 or 13, and I have re-read it many times. I still have my original, now dog-eared, paperback copy, and I hope my own daughter will come to enjoy it in time.

This book was especially appealing to me as I had just moved from Boston to Falmouth, MA, on Cape Cod. Like Kit, the protagonist, I felt very much like a fish out of water. I also enjoyed the fact that I could identify the trees and plants that were vividly and accurately described in the novel.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond manages to cram a lot of action into its relatively slim girth. The basic story revolves around the orphaned Kit, a young woman forced to move from Barbados, where she has lived a life of luxury and ease, to Massachusetts Bay Colony, to live with her Puritan aunt and uncle's family. She has two cousins just about her age, Judith and Mercy, and the differences between the girls temperments and experiences cause a significant amount of friction.

Kit is dealing with culture shock and the concept of learning to pull her own weight. She also is struggling to find a place for herself that isn't completely stifling, and she begins teaching the village children. Along the way, she befriends an outcast Quaker woman, "The Witch" of the title.

The story works in many details of daily life in Puritan New England, including aspects of religion and intolerance, and the fear of witchcraft that was prevalent. This is also a coming-of-age story, and Kit finds her true love in a quite unexpected way. Since all of the girls are of marriageable age, the courting rituals and expectations of that society are presented in detail as well. You might think that a novel that manages to cover all this would be dry as dust, but it's not. The plot moves along at a good pace, and the style engages you immediately.

There are tensions running through the story on several levels, but all are resolved without contrivance by the book's end. Yes, it has a neat, tidy ending, but ambiguity is not a plus in books targeted for young teens. Kit learns to rely on herself and what her worth is to those around her, and she matures from a spoiled brat into a capable young woman, willing to make sacrifices. She is an excellent role model for any young woman who is confused about what to do with her life.

I'm not sure whether or not this book would interest an adolescent boy, as the action is centered on Kit completely. I do, however, recommend this book without reservation for girls of any age. It's written for the younger crowd, certainly, but it is such a great story and so well-written that anyone can enjoy it.