A review by omgyaynina
Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 by Mary Pope Osborne

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Last week I reread this for the first time in probably 17 years. This was my absolute favorite book as a kid and into my teens.

I’m no longer the target audience so of course the plot was less developed than I had remembered, and the writing was more simplistic. I also snagged on some of the language used to discuss the indigenous people — although an accurate depiction of how settlers believed and behaved in that time period, it was cringe-inducing to read in 2023.

But ultimately Caty’s experience leads her to see her captors as equals, to empathize with them and feel affection for them, and to regret the settlers’ cruelty toward the indigenous people. The reader can’t help but arrive at the same conclusion. The experience alters Caty to such a degree that she’s never truly able to return to her life as it was before her capture, and similarly I wonder how much I was altered by my pre-teen obsession with this book. It likely helped shape who I am today.

Given that it’s a middle grade book (I think) and I’m an adult I don’t know exactly how to give this a star rating. But, this book will always have a special place in my heart.