The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Early this year we listened to a fabulous audiobook, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare and read by Mary Beth Hunt. It was a great story, and the experience was enhanced by the rich and vivid reading of the reader. A thrilling combination of historical setting and genuine characters and relationship made this a memorable book.

I loved the experience of listening to an audio as a family. The homeschooling curriculum we use, Sonlight, has a lot of reading aloud, and I was looking for a way to save a bit of time. It was nice to free up a bit of time in our homeschooling day, but there were other unexpected benefits. The little boys were so cute. I was amazed at the way they picked up on the emotion of the book. They didn’t always know what was going on plot-wise, but they would perk up and start asking questions at tense or joyful moments. And something about listening to an audio with my kids, rather than always reading to them, seemed to change the dynamic of a shared book. Instead of always being the driver, I was a passenger right along with them, able to enjoy the scenery and feel like “one of them.”

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a powerful book. It brings a brilliant focus to the conflict between cultures; a strict Puritan society and its intolerance for a determined but humble Quaker woman. As we come to know the young girl caught in the crossfire, we feel her deep desire to find her own way and her frustration with the limitations of her community. The lasting impression of this book is the strong emotion, I felt deeply for the characters and they truly came alive for me.

My oldest daughter also loved it saying –
“I liked how she was a loyalist to the king and how the book made it seem like she was going to marry someone else, and it was ‘unexpecting.’ I also liked what they said about the old woman being a witch; I thought it was interesting that back then they persecuted women that were thought to be witches. I love how it was realistic, exciting and romantic!”

Summary:
Vivid picture of life in early America – Connecticut 1687
Best appreciated by 10+
Great on audio
I loved it!

Why I'm Writing

I love to read. In his April 2008 talk Elder Ballard suggested young mothers chose one or two things to enrich their lives. I’ve hemmed and hawed, considering drawing, piano, and even sleeping, but finally decided that reading was my thing. I love words, love the anticipation of an unfinished story and the sweetness of a character so real, you can bring him back at will.

But for me, reading has two significant drawbacks – it leaves nothing behind, and it can be passive, not requiring me to stretch.

My life is full of things that leave no tracks: laundry, diaper changes, meals are erased with the new tide. Though I have a pretty good memory for things I read, a lot gets lost over time, especially if I’ve done nothing to process it.

Because I’ve chosen reading to renew me, I don’t require everything I read to be life-changing or deeply intellectual. Sometimes I read… just for fun! But even still, I want some kind of record, something to show the path I’ve walked. Knitters get baby booties, pianists play concerts; I guess readers have to blog.

So, I plan to leave a record of the books I read. Mostly I’ll just talk to myself and try to create some order out of the random thoughts that occur to us readers as we turn the pages. Also, some of the books I read are ones I think my children may choose to pick up later and I’d like enough of my thoughts and questions written down that I could recreate the enthusiasm of a book just read and reap another sweet fruit of reading, discussion.

And though I joke that I’m talking to myself, I obviously don’t mean it or I would just leave these meanderings in the word file in which they were created. So I hope you’ll be inspired to pick up a book, leave a comment, and share your recommendations with me.