Based on actual events, this latest offering from the accomplished Cooney (The Face on the Milk Carton; Driver's Ed) is a gripping and thought-provoking account of the 1704 Indian raid on the English settlement of Deerfield, Mass. After their village is burned and many of its residents killed, Mercy and more than 100 other settlers are taken prisoner by the Kahnawake Mohawk, who have been converted to Catholicism by the French. Some of the novel's most riveting chapters describe the difficult winter trek that takes them 300 miles north to Canada, where Mercy settles into life in a traditional Indian village near Montreal. Uncertain whether she will be adopted by the Mohawk who captured her or whether the English will pay the ransom that would allow her to return to Massachusetts, Mercy struggles to balance loyalty to her own family and traditions with a growing appreciation for the Kahnawake way of life. Just how much her perspective broadens can be measured by the fact that, in addition to adopting many Indian ways, Mercy can find something sacred and comforting in the Catholic mass a rite she was raised to believe led straight to eternal damnation. Portrayed mostly as rigid, angry and dogmatic, the Puritans contrast poorly with the generally kind and commonsensical Indians, and Mercy's final choice is thus compelling. Though at times this account reads like the MTV version of the events (e.g., glancing over such important events as the death of Mercy's Indian father), the immediacy of Mercy's dilemma comes through despite its historical distance. Cooney's trademark staccato delivery keeps the pages turning. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Deerfield, Massachusetts--late February, 1704. Although the town is surrounded by a 12-foot-high wall and soldiers stand guard, Mercy Carter doesn't feel completely safe. Deerfield is one of the most remote settlements in the English colonies, and Indian raids are a constant threat. When the raid does come, the colony is overwhelmed. Mercy and the rest of the townspeople are forced to march 300 miles north through bitter cold into Canada. Adopted into Indian families or sold to French Canadians, the people of Deerfield vow to never forget their home. But they are treated well, and as time passes, they are no longer sure where home is. Caroline B. Cooney, the best selling author of such titles as The Face on the Milk Carton and Whatever Happened to Janie?, bases this powerful tale on real-life events and people. Narrator Christina Moore expresses the turmoil within Mercy's heart as she struggles to understand the true meaning of love and family.
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The Ransom of Mercy Carter
Deerfield, Massachusetts--late February, 1704. Although the town is surrounded by a 12-foot-high wall and soldiers stand guard, Mercy Carter doesn't feel completely safe. Deerfield is one of the most remote settlements in the English colonies, and Indian raids are a constant threat. When the raid does come, the colony is overwhelmed. Mercy and the rest of the townspeople are forced to march 300 miles north through bitter cold into Canada. Adopted into Indian families or sold to French Canadians, the people of Deerfield vow to never forget their home. But they are treated well, and as time passes, they are no longer sure where home is. Caroline B. Cooney, the best selling author of such titles as The Face on the Milk Carton and Whatever Happened to Janie?, bases this powerful tale on real-life events and people. Narrator Christina Moore expresses the turmoil within Mercy's heart as she struggles to understand the true meaning of love and family.
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Product Details
BN ID: | 2940170910021 |
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Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
Publication date: | 11/15/2013 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
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