Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile … place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.
Elizabeth George Speare won the 1959 Newbery Medal for this portrayal of a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love.
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This was one of my favorite books as a child. It sparked an ongoing love of American and European history that’s extended well beyond American witch hunts. Kit is a strong young woman who came from a world where she was allowed real freedom. She has difficulties adapting to Puritanical Massachusetts at a time when being different could lead to …
I read a lot of books. Some are entertaining, some are informative, some I forget, but others stay with me, but all become a part of me. If I had to pick a book that had the greatest impact on my life, I would have to reach back to 5th grade. That was when I asked my school librarian for a good book to read. She walked me over to the shelf and …
I honestly didn’t know this book existed until a friend of mine posted the book! And thank goodness I saw it because I loved it so much!
Kit was such an awesome character. She was strong-willed, determined, caring and an awesome young woman for girls to look up to!
I also loved Mercy and Hannah! Oh and Nat, my lovely Nat! And John! So many …
This book is chock full of wonderful characters that stay with you long after the book is finished. It’s been on my Top 10 favorite books for many years.
I didn’t like it at all. It’s very slow and very boring. We had to read it for school and that’s the only reason why I finished it.
I can see why this is an award winner and I love that it has stood the test of time.
This is one of my all time favorite books. The first time I read it was in 7th grade and have read it many times since!
5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of HIstorical Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2019
I read this book in 1958 for the first time and have re-read it every few years since. It is one of my lifetime favorites, not just for the gripping story, but also because it truly brought the 17th century in Puritan New England to life for me as a …
I love this book!! Long ago I found it in my school library, and after the 20th time checking it out I decided it was time to get my own copy. I read this book over and over and never tire of Kit. I especially love the friendship between Kit and Hannah! I also love how Kit’s presence softens her aunt and uncle’s household. While this is considered …
good book for young people.
Read this as a preteen and I loved it. Still have fond memories of it.
This is a favorite from my childhood, a story in which characters did not wind up with who they were “supposed to,” and being who you were, rather that following the dictates of family and culture, led to happier, truer outcomes. A well-told tale.
Great read and re-read for 10 and up. Historically authentic. While it ends happily, I wouldn’t put it in the happily-ever-after, fairy tale category, rather, all the people have been left with a good way forward. It is tightly written. Even though it is relatively short–about 220pp in my version, it is richly drawn. All the main characters …
I read this book the first time in 7th grade and found it well written and suitable for teens to adults.. I read it every year after that for several years. There are great characters with many different personalities. I own the paperback of this book and will pick it up and read it still just for the enjoyment of visiting again with Kit Tyler.
I have read this book at least 3 times since I first read it approximately 30+ years ago.
As a youth, this book shaped my world-view of the concepts of inclusion and exclusion, prejudice and belonging. Strong female characters are a plus.
4/5 I read this book for the 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt of “A childhood classic you’ve never read”. I must say I really enjoyed reading this story and am sad that I didn’t discover it until now as an adult.
Kit Tyler has arrived in colonial Connecticut to live with a family she doesn’t know. Her only friend in the village seems to be the local outcast, accused of being a witch. Will Kit ever adjust to her new life?
This is an engrossing novel that pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages. Even after multiple rereads, I still can never put it …