The Witch of the Blackbird Pond

Bibliography
Speare, George Elizabeth. 1986. The Witch of the Blackbird Pond. Laurel Leaf Books. ISBN: 04409955779.

Plot Summary
Kit Tyler who has been raised in Barbados is orphaned and has nobody to go to but her aunt who lives in Connecticut. Her upbringing is very different from the conservative and strict life of her Puritan aunt and her family. She realizes that she is not a fit there; whatever she does ends up with the wrong results in this new place. The only place she finds peace is in the meadows and with the old Hannah Tupper. Hannah Tupper lives alone in the meadows and is called the witch of Blackbird Pond. Kit is forbidden in meeting the witch, but Kit finds that Hannah Tupper is just an innocent old lady and is no witch at all. Nat, Kit’s young sailor friend, also likes to visit Hannah Tupper occasionally. When people find out Kit’s friendship with the so called Witch, Kit is also blamed of witchcraft.

Critical Analysis
The Witch of the Blackbird Pond is a thoroughly engaging story that readers won’t be able to put down. Kit is torn between staying who she is and what her relatives want her to be; but due to circumstances she is forced to blend in with the life of the relatives she is living with. Kit’s dilemma is very touching because she slowly starts understanding her new relatives and also can see their love for her, but longs for the freedom she is used to have. The historical conflicts of the time have been neatly woven into the conflicts of Kit’s life, without overshadowing Kit’s story. Preteen readers will enjoy the three budding romances that have been blended into the story making. A lovely story with a very satisfying end.