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A review by jerrica
Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 by Mary Pope Osborne
5.0
You guyssss I read this book again after eleven years (!!!!) for a paper I'm doing and I'm going to compare it to real Indian captivities while also examining how the story is framed for elementary school readers.
I remember reading this book at the end of 4th grade, because it was the last day of 4th grade and the sun was streaming through the windshield of my family's car onto the book. I thought it was funny that the book was called Standing in the Light while it was standing in the light itself.
I forgot how wonderfully told this story is, and how heart-wrenching. There actually is quite a bit of violence in it, which I wasn't expecting. Catharine describes scalping and murder, not in great detail but I was surprised it was there at all. Her eventual identification with her captors is beautifully told, though a little overbearing and obvious at times. Still, I was surprised at the maturity of the voice in a novel meant for 8-10 year-olds.
What's strange about the book though is that Snow Hunter, the older boy that she falls in love with while in captivity, is actually white. He too was taken from his home at a young age and lived the rest of his life with the Lenape. This was a detail I'd forgotten-- and what does it mean that Catharine doesn't fall for a Native American after all, but a fellow white person who just happens to be in captivity with her? Osbourne barely mentions that SH isn't white. What is Osbourne trying to say about interracial marriage, as it does not appear at all in the book despite being about white people living among Native Americans?
Also insanely melodramatic that Catharine "never marries." I hate that. Marriage isn't the path for everyone but it was clearly meant to be in remembrance of Snow Hunter, to be his chaste whatever whatever until death when they can join with the Great Spirit or something. People can fall in love more than once, especially you know, after the age of 13 I'm sure you can love again. Everyone needs to chill.
I remember reading this book at the end of 4th grade, because it was the last day of 4th grade and the sun was streaming through the windshield of my family's car onto the book. I thought it was funny that the book was called Standing in the Light while it was standing in the light itself.
I forgot how wonderfully told this story is, and how heart-wrenching. There actually is quite a bit of violence in it, which I wasn't expecting. Catharine describes scalping and murder, not in great detail but I was surprised it was there at all. Her eventual identification with her captors is beautifully told, though a little overbearing and obvious at times. Still, I was surprised at the maturity of the voice in a novel meant for 8-10 year-olds.
What's strange about the book though is that Snow Hunter, the older boy that she falls in love with while in captivity, is actually white. He too was taken from his home at a young age and lived the rest of his life with the Lenape. This was a detail I'd forgotten-- and what does it mean that Catharine doesn't fall for a Native American after all, but a fellow white person who just happens to be in captivity with her? Osbourne barely mentions that SH isn't white. What is Osbourne trying to say about interracial marriage, as it does not appear at all in the book despite being about white people living among Native Americans?
Also insanely melodramatic that Catharine "never marries." I hate that. Marriage isn't the path for everyone but it was clearly meant to be in remembrance of Snow Hunter, to be his chaste whatever whatever until death when they can join with the Great Spirit or something. People can fall in love more than once, especially you know, after the age of 13 I'm sure you can love again. Everyone needs to chill.