Written by Elizabeth George Speare, Reviewed by Erica
This is the Newbery Award-winning story of Kit Tyler, a young woman who must leave her home in Barbados to live with her aunt and uncle in Puritan New England. Kit struggles to fit in with her relatives’ lifestyle, but has trouble adapting to the town’s strict, rigid rules. Her silk dresses, ability to swim, and penchant for speaking her mind soon develop into rumors that she is a witch, fueled further when Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. Eventually Kit must defend herself from the angry town and choose a life that better suits her unorthodox upbringing. Speare does a great job of portraying the awkward and lonely feelings of an outsider in this novel, which makes it relevant to modern times. A good read, especially for those in middle and high school.